Saving Draco Malfoy
by apathetica
Summary: “How does it feel? When she thanks you for saving her life?” Blaise said. Draco’s face twisted, mimicking the tightening of his chest. "Like hell.” Draco said. “Maybe you’ve got a heart after all” Blaise whispered. “That makes one of us.” Draco returned.
1. What ever you ask

**Summary: **Saving Hermione from certain death at the hands of the darklord put her in Malfoy's debt, and led to the expiation he never knew he sought.

**Chapter one: What ever you ask**

"Watch out!"

"Hermione!"

CRASH!

Screams were drowned in the din of several tons of rock collapsing. Smoke, debris, and dust filled the room, clouding the air, as the last bits of rubble from the smashed enchanted ceiling fell to the floor.

The room was deathly silent as all the inhabitants of Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry waited for the air to clear –waited for the confirmation that they'd just lost one –maybe more of their number.

Dumbledore had, of course, been warned that the heir of Slytherin was now using his strange blood connection to the foundation of the school to proverbially – and now it seemed, quite literally- bring it tumbling down.

This was the first physical manifestation of the Dark lord's plot. He would drive Dumbledore from the school, if he had to demolish it in the process.

It just so happened that Hermione Granger had been standing at the very spot to bear the falling rock, as a portion of the great hall's ceiling, presumably held in place by Salazar Slytherin's ancient enchantments, gave way.

"Hermione!" Harry Potter repeated, but more quietly this time, as he approached the spot where his best friend had stood –now only a large pile of stones. His eyes were wide with shock, unable to wrap his mind around the concept that Hermione was buried beneath what had been the ceiling.

"Malfoy." Ron gasped, joining Harry's side. Harry looked at the pile perplexedly, never taking his eyes from it. He could not see what Ron –his superior in height- could see.

Other people were joining Harry and Ron around the new rock formation, and continuing to whisper Draco Malfoy's last name.

Frustrated, Harry moved around Ron, and gasped as he saw what had caused others to say his name questioningly.

Draco Malfoy lay on the floor, face down, inches from the pile of certain death, blood trickling down his head, and his arms wrapped tightly around a the boneless, stunned form of Hermione Granger.

Repairing instantly from the shock of having thought his best friend was dead, Harry Potter now had to attempt to wrap his mind around seeing his worst enemy save her from death.

Lost in thought, and oblivious to the murmuring around him, Harry only awoke from his perplexity when Malfoy stirred.

Giving a small moan he rolled onto his back, inadvertently dragging Hermione with him to rest on his chest –though through no fault of his own.

Hermione, for her part, was clutching Malfoy as if for dear life- and Harry reminded himself that it had been just that.

She was shaking furiously, her head in buried in his chest, arms wrapped around him right underneath his own arms, which were lightly draped across her back.

He was breathing heavily, and blinking fretfully to clear his vision of the haze a blow to the head always seems to cause. The blood that was making its way to his nose from his temple, via his cheek, changed directions and headed instead for his ear at gravity's call.

It was only when Dumbledore stood above them did the murmuring stop, and all eyes went some place other than the second least likely sight in the history of Hogwarts – the first being Professor Snape's smile.

"Mr. Malfoy…" The headmaster said quietly. It was Hermione who reacted in reply, however, moving her petrified face away from Malfoy's form long enough to peer at his face, disbelievingly.

Malfoy's eyes, still clouded and unfocused from the head injury, stared back at her vaguely. He did, however, have presence and mind enough to tell that laying on the floor was not common to do in the great hall.

He hoisted himself onto his elbows, so he was somewhat sitting up. Hermione rising slowly, and very shakily, with him.

"Ms. Granger…" The headmaster continued. "Are you both alright?"

Neither spoke. Hermione continued to stare at her rescuer disbelievingly, and he back at her bemusedly. The headmaster cleared his throat impatiently, and Hermione gave a little squeak, and attempted to sit up properly. The problem with that, was that her position in relation to Malfoy was anything but proper –their legs slightly tangled from the fall.

The both of them gingerly got to their feet- both of them shaky for different reasons. Malfoy looked as though he'd pass out at any moment. Swaying slightly, Hermione took hold of his arm, but was hardly any better off.

Having survived several near-death experiences, Harry Potter was quickest to repair. He stepped forward and steadied the two. Malfoy turned his bemused and unfocused eyes to the boy-who-lived, giving a vague smile of thanks.

When Harry moved, the murmurs began anew.

"Hospital wing." Dumbledore declared needlessly, before directing his focus to the ceiling, or lack there of.

Hermione's knees would not cooperate as she tried to make them move. They simply refused to lock into a proper stride. She felt Ron's hands on her other arm, and Harry draw away. She looked over to see Harry pulling one of Malfoy's arms over his shoulders as he half dragged the dazed boy to the hospital wing. Malfoy was slightly taller and heavier than Harry, impeding their progress.

Harry's eyes turned sharply to his right when he felt some of the weight lifting. He spotted Pansy Parkinson, drawing Malfoy's other arm around her shoulders to help, although her diminutive height made for little use as a crutch. To his left, Ron was helping Hermione along just fine.

The extremely odd Slytherine-Gryffindor mixture found Madam Pomfrey before they reached the hospital wing.

"Oh my Lord! What was that crash! What has happened."

"Part of the ceiling in the great hall collapsed." Explained Ron. "Malfoy and Hermione were the only ones hurt." He finished, making sure Pomfrey wouldn't run off on them to see what other damage had been caused.

If, for instance, the ceiling had chosen to give way over the staff table or over one of the house tables, the casualties would've been enormous.

"Come on then.. in. in." Madam Pomfrey ushered the group down the hall and into the hospital wing, where she immediately started bustling around, and filling a handy tray with potion bottles.

Harry and Pansy were hauling Malfoy onto a bed. Ron easily lifted Hermione up and placed her on to the adjacent bed. Once the two were settled, Madam Pomfrey saw to their injuries.

She cleared up Draco's blood with some astringent potions and a poke of her wand. She then gave him some chocolate to eat while she saw to Hermione.

"Nothing seems to be out of order except for some nasty bruises, we'll take care of those when the others leave."

"Is… Is… Draco alright?" Hermione mumbled, still shaking furiously.

Malfoy choked on his chocolate when he heard this. Pansy helped him sit up and started hitting his back.

"Oh, he'll be fine." Madam Pomfrey said, giving Hermione a bit of chocolate too. "After you are done with that, drink these sleep potions. You both need rest. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Parkinson, I think it's time you left." She added sternly.

Harry and Ron were very reluctant to leave Hermione, especially now that her shaking became more pronounced.

Pansy gave Draco a kiss on the cheek and left, only after glaring at Hermione and then sticking her nose in the air.

Harry and Ron each gave Hermione a tight hug before following Pansy out of the ward.

"I want to check the great hall, so I'll be back in a moment. When I come back you both better have taken your potions." Then she left, and after the door had slammed shut the ward was silent.

"W—Why…" Hermione was looking away, but there was no other person she could've been addressing.

"Sod off Granger." Was his quick reply.

Hermione's head turned sharply in disbelief, before determination painted her face.

Malfoy was looking straight ahead, concentrating on chewing and swallowing his chocolate as though it were the most difficult task he'd ever been assigned. There was a protracted pause.

"What ever the reason, the consequence is the same… I owe you." He froze. "And what ever you ask of me… I'll do." She looked away and started on her chocolate.

She finished it silently, and moved to take her potion. Hermione eyed her would-be-savior through her peripheral vision as she picked up the potion beaker.

Malfoy was staring at her in disbelief.

The weight of her words hit her just then and she shut her eyes in disgust- unable to believe she'd just signed her life away to the last person she had ever expected to save it. She took a deep breath, and downed the potion. The bottle barely made it back to the table before she was asleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

a/n: Please review.


	2. The lifedebt

**Chapter two: The life-debt.**

When Hermione woke up, Malfoy was gone and his bed was made.

"Morning dear." Said Madame Pomfrey.

"Lessons!" Hermione exclaimed, when she caught sight of the clock on the wall. She was missing Arithmancy!

Madame Pomfrey chuckled and waved a hand at Hermione to sit back.

"They were canceled today, for all students. Everyone is outside right now, while the teachers ward all the ceilings and floors."

"Oh…" Was Hermione's only response.

Madame Pomfrey examined every inch of her body, taking special care in repairing her bruised spine and head. After clearing up the ruptured blood vessels, she allowed Hermione to dress and leave.

Hermione, who had been so eager to leave the hospital wing, now wished she could go back and never come out. She looked out onto the courtyard, and a sense of dread filled her chest, as she wondered what people would say.

Still, she was not a Gryffindor for nothing. She gathered her nerves and stepped out onto the breezy, frozen stone path.

Immediately she was accosted by her fellow Gryffindors.

"Hermione!"

"You alright?"

"Malfoy wouldn't say…"

Hermione's smile faded when she heard Malfoy's name.

"I'm fine, really! I just had some bruising on my back, they are all gone now."

Ron, who was white beneath his freckles, gave Hermione a hug. She smiled at him. Harry was looking very relieved as well.

"We thought we lost you yesterday…." Harry began. "Again." He looked away. The group became solemn. "Voldemort. It's all his fault… This has got to end." He was saying it more to himself than to anyone else.

Only Hermione and Ron knew the implications of Harry's words. They knew he alone could slay the dark lord permanently.

"And it will." Hermione said brightly, squeezing Harry's hand. "So… We aren't allowed inside, not even to our dormitories?" Hermione asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"We are allowed there, except the Slytherins, of course. The problem is, the teachers don't know which halls were made by Slytherin's magic, so they are going through and warding all of them."

"Why aren't the Slytherins allowed?" Asked Hermione, although she suspected the answer.

"Their whole wing, and the dungeons, was made by Slytherin's magic and held in place with his blood. Dumbledore reckons it's not safe, even if they ward it."

"So what is going to happen to them?" Hermione asked.

"They'll have to move I suppose." Ginny piped in. "Maybe even share a dorm space with the other houses."

The other Gryffindors must not have considered this, because they all looked very alarmed.

"I'll throw myself from the tower before I share a bed with Crabbe." Ron declared.

"I'd be too afraid Pansy would kill me in my sleep." Hermione muttered so only Ginny could hear.

The gaggle of Gryffindors moved slowly across the courtyard, passing a similar gaggle of serious-looking Slytherins. Malfoy was among them, and so Hermione lowered her eyes. Seeing him reminded her of what she had promised the day before, and the thought was quite alarming. It was better not to see him.

Her mind inadvertently returned to the moment she had realized it was Draco laying astride her, protecting her; That it was Draco who had saved her.

Right after she hit the floor, her mind had blocked out anything except the searing pain in her back, head and bum.

"_Draco Malfoy…_"

She heard his name, although her eyes were still screwed shut. She thought that maybe he'd been buried too… but then realized that the warm, bony thing on top of her couldn't be rock, it had to be a person. She cracked open her eyes to see a silver and green tie over a white shirt and under a gray sweater-vest.

Before she could put one and one together, she felt herself rolling over, her legs tangling with his as they went. His arms were still around her, and she realized only then, that her arms were around him.

He was thin, as far as she could tell, and had a long torso and long legs. His body, oddly enough, reminded her of Ron's- long and lanky. This body had a slightly better developed chest, she realized, as her face was buried into it.

"_Mr. Malfoy_…" It was the headmaster. She jumped, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the boy she was laying on. Draco Malfoy was lying beneath her, his arms still drooped over her own back, and his head bleeding. He looked dazed and gave her a faint smile.

He propped himself up on his elbows, nearly knocking their heads together as he struggled to sit-up. They continued to stare at each other, as they shakily made their way to their feet. Hermione felt ashamed now, that she hadn't wanted to take her hands off him.

She wondered now, after the fact, why she had that feeling. It was probably only because he had saved her life, and she was still feeling so scared and insecure. Surely, that was natural to feel towards someone who had just saved your life?

"Hermione?" Ginny asked her with concern. Hermione gasped and looked up from her shoes. Harry and Ron were also looking at her with concern.

"You had this really pained expression on your face. What's wrong?"

"just… thinking… about what happened." Hermione didn't think she had it in her to lie at this moment. Besides, a near death experience was cause enough to space out.

"Malfoy… I can't believe he did it…" Ginny muttered, and turned to the look at the blond boy, who was looking dejected and forlorn among his house-mates.

"Looks like he's regretting it now. I thought they'd ostracize him for sure." Hermione said.

"They probably think it's brilliant that he's one up on us." Ron spat.

"On me, you mean." Hermione replied. All eyes snapped back to her. "I already told him I owe him… whatever he wants." All eyes went wide.

"Hermione, you didn't!" Ginny moaned.

"I know the magical implications of saving someone's life Ginny, there wasn't anything else to do. Unless I want to be bound to Malfoy forever, or until I save his life in return, I've got to do something for him which will reconcile the debt." Hermione muttered, and they all knew it was true.

"It's not bad, being bound to someone like that… I mean, look at me…. I'm bound to Peter sodding Petigrew!" Harry said, spitting out the traitor's name like it was parceltongue.

"But your from the collector's point of view, of course it doesn't bother you…" Hermione said reasonably.

"I hear some wizards go mad from the debt, it's like an obsession to pay it back…" Ginny said thoughtfully. "But, you'll be able to avoid that… you put in your offer, right? It can't happen to you now." She added quickly, when Hermione's face turned white.

"But what if he doesn't collect?" Harry said what everyone but Ron was thinking.

"It's Malfoy, he'll collect. Probably something stupid like making her carry his books." Ron said.

"-tut- Malfoy wouldn't be THAT stupid as to waste a life debt on something like books." Ginny said.

"Prefects!" Professor McGonagall's voice carried over the courtyard, and Hermione was extremely grateful for the distraction. Hermione, Ron and Ginny were all prefects so they frowned in regret to Harry, who shrugged and made his way over to some other Gryffindors, before turning to their head of house.

The other house prefects were already in front of her. Hermione ambled to the other side of the group, as far away from Malfoy as she could, while still being able to listen to McGonagall.

"As I'm sure you are aware, the Slytherins will not be able to return to their dormitories." Some sounds of disgust and angst came from the Slytherin prefects. "We have decided to distribute the Slytherins among the other dorms."

"So we'll be staying with other houses?" Asked a Slytherin fifth year prefect.

"That is correct Ms. Perks. We originally thought to divide up every year among all the houses, so that some from each year went to each house, but Professor Dumbledore pointed out the uncomfortable situation that would put some Slytherins in, so we've decided to split the Slytherins by year.

"I am telling you this early because I expect all of the receiving house prefects to be extremely welcoming to the Slytherins. Perhaps you could arrange some type of welcome reception… change the common room colors or something along that line."

Pansy gave a delicate snort.

"This is no laughing matter." McGonagall said fretfully. "The school is now a dangerous place, and we must all stick together… we must not waste time alienating each other. I expect you prefects to be especially severe with anyone who is… less that friendly… in your house." McGonagall's eyes shot to Ron's, who had the grace to look abashed.

"Those of you in receiving houses may now go to your common rooms and prepare your dormitory as you see fit. Professor Dumbledore will make the announcement at dinner, and at that time will let everyone know which of the class-levels will be going to each house. Until Professor Dumbledore makes the announcement, none of you is to discuss what I have just said among other students." She eyed the Slytherin prefects. "Do I make myself clear."

They nodded, looking mutinous.

"Right, off you go then."

The prefects began to disperse, some of them heading to their towers to oversee the changes.

"I wonder what the wards do… what kind of wards did they use?" Hermione asked Ron. He shrugged.

"What do you want to do? I'm not decorating the common room for them." He spat contemptuously.

"Right…" Hermione muttered. "Well, I'll see you later then…"

"Where are you going?"

"Oversee the changes, we'll need to add more beds and desks and stuff…" He nodded at her, and she waved and then departed.


	3. I don't know why

**Chapter three: I don't know why **

Dinner that night was a noisy affair. Many students looked extremely tense as they walked in to the great hall, and kept looking up at the ceiling. Some even refused to sit with their legs under the table, afraid of being trapped; They sat on the long benches with their back to the table. It became especially awkward when trying to eat.

The Slytherins were very subdued, as it had leaked that they couldn't return to their dormitory. Others among them were extremely anxious to know where they would be sent. Draco Malfoy, however, knew exactly where he was going to end up.

It seemed that fate was conspiring against him in every possible way. His friends, his school, even his own body, had been betraying him lately. There was only one thing that could happen to top it all off. He eyed Potter, and grimaced.

"Good evening." Dumbledore had risen and was addressing the school. "I am sure you will all be relieved to know that all accessible corridors, staircases, etc… have been warded." He, and all the rest of the teachers, looked extremely tired. "So, the danger has been lessened for now. We must all be on alert, even so.

"The teachers and I agree that the dungeons are not safe even with the wards we have erected, and so they have been sealed off. The Potions classroom and stores have been relocated to the Transfiguration hall, in the empty class room on the right.

"The closing of the dungeons also means the closing of one of the houses. We have decided to relocate the Slytherins to the other house dormitories." Those that did not know this would happen immediately began whispering with their house mates in shock. Dumdledor raised his hands for silence. "We will be relocating the Slytherins by class…

"Before I give you the assignments, I beg you to be patient through an old man's wheezing waffle.

"What ever the unfortunate circumstances to bring us to this point, I want to remind each of you that this same event could've happened to any of the houses. To be displaced from your home, and place of comfort, is a stressful event. I therefore urge all of you to show compassion and understanding… and most of all tolerance and acceptance.

"These are dark times, and it does not do to dwell on differences and fight amongst each other, when such dangers from the outside are gathering their forces. I feel, though the event to bring us to this point is unfortunate, that this will be a beneficial experience for the entire school. It is imperative you forget your petty differences, and reconcile in the face of a new danger.

"Stand together, Hogwarts, as students, not as houses, and show loyalty to each other as befits your brother."

Professor McGonogol was the first to clap, Hermione was the second, and slowly the rest of the school joined in. Dumdledor's eyes twinkled.

"You might regret clapping when I'm done with the assignments." He smiled at them. "First, second and third year Slytherins will be going to Hufflepuff."

Professor sprout glared at her house and they all started clapping nervously.

"Fourth and fifth years will be joining Ravenclaw." Ravenclaws clapped as well, but it wasn't heard over the roar of indignation at the Slytherin table, that erupted from the mouths of the sixth and seventh years.

Only Draco Malfoy remained in his seat, seemingly unconcerned. He knew it was coming, fate had always enjoyed torturing him.

"Yes, and finally… the sixth and seventh years will be joining Gryffindor." The Slytherins had regained control, they sat back down and were throwing Dumdledor looks of deepest disgust and hatred, but holding their tongues.

"I understand there is greater house rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, which is why I placed the oldest students of both houses together. I trust that your maturity will keep your tempers and competition from becoming violent, at the very least. I do hope all of you will use this opportunity to genuinely get to know each other as people, undivided by house lines."

There were several snorts and sneers from Gryffindors and Slytherins alike.

"Prefects from receiving houses, please lead your new house mates to their new dormitories and see to it they are comfortable. You are dismissed."

Hermione stood up and was about to call out to the Slytherins to follow her, but Ron cut her off.

"Can you believe it! Living with MALFOY!" He spat in anger. Hermione shrugged. She had already figured out who they would be getting. When she saw what rooms were being expanded, and the beds that were coming in, she new her suspicions had been correct.

"At least you don't have to sleep with Pansy." Hermione muttered. Ron's face contorted in disgust. She left him standing there, looking as though he were about to vomit.

"Slytherin sixth and seventh years, this way please…. To your new common room." Hermione called, and waved her hand at the group of upper-years, who again looked mutinous.

The Slytherins reluctantly followed Hermione, Ron, and the seventh year prefects out of the great hall and through the warded corridors, where magic was now palpable, to the portrait of the fat lady.

"This is the fat lady, the portrait that guards the common room." Hermione said.

"Really, we couldn't have figured it out." Sneered Pansy.

Hermione's cheeks darkened, but she just smiled and didn't reply.

"The password is _welcome home_." Hermione announced, to more snorts and looks of disgust.

The fat lady swung open, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins alike gasped as one.

"What happened!" Asked Seamus, as he looked around wide eyed.

"The common room has been expanded, and furniture has been added to accommodate the new students." A seventh year said. Her name was Madeline, and she was the seventh year prefect.

"Those of you in sixth and seventh year will also notice your expanded dorm rooms, and change of furniture…" she continued.

"But.. what's up with all the green and silver?" Asked Parvati.

"Well… We thought…" began Hermione.. but when Ron and Madeline glared at her she corrected herself. "Ok, fine! _I_ thought it would be nice to change the common room colors to accommodate the Slytherins!"

And indeed, the common room was hardly recognizable. Curtains of light green and tomato red, accented with gold fringe and gray stripes, hung on the windows in place of the bright red and gold. The couches were stripped red with gray, and green with marigold. Some of the furniture pieces, Harry recognized, appeared to have come straight from the Slytherin common room.

Two fires, burning beneath two mantles on either side of the enlarged room, were crackling merrily.

Because Hermione had used lightened versions of the house colors, the combination of the two was rather fetching.

"You decorated, Granger?" Millicent asked. Hermione nodded meekly. "Not bad." She muttered, and received glares from her fellow Slytherins.

"What about that?" Lavender asked, pointing to a table laden with drinks and sweets. Hermione turned red.

"Well…" Hermione began, growing hot. A cold drawl cut her off.

"Did you put mints on our pillows too, Granger?" Hermione became even redder. "My God!" Malfoy exclaimed in disbelief. "You did!" All the Slytherins looked dumbstruck for a moment, before most of them burst out laughing.

Hermione's face was glowing, but she held her head high and said, with dignity:

"Please make yourselves and home, and help yourself to some refreshments…. If you need anything…."

"Come to big-sister Granger… if anyone picks on you, Granger will sort them out, cause she's a Slytherin's best mate. Is that it Granger?" Malfoy drawled.

"Well, it is kind of nice…." One of them began.

"Shut up, Crabbe!" Malfoy and Pansy said together.

"And Goyle, I wouldn't eat that if I were you… this is all too weird… it's probably poisoned." Goyle and Crabbe had ambled over to the snack table and were about to partake.

"It isn't!" Hermione gasped. "look… All I'm trying to do…"

"It's not welcome! We're not welcome no matter how many rose petals you sprinkle across our beds, or treats you leave out for us…. We don't want to be here, and you don't want us here… and no amount of color-mixing, or sugar coating is going to change that!" Malfoy spat, without knowing why he was overreacting.

"Back off Mafloy.." Potter came forward to stand next to Hermione. "She was just trying to make you lot comfortable… and this is what you…." But Draco cut off his defense.

"Aren't you a generous one, Granger?" Malfoy stepped out of the closely compacted group of Slytherins. "The poor Slytherins, displaced because they're all so evil… finally getting what they deserve after all this time. That's what you all are thinking." No one said anything as Malfoy took another step closer to Hermione, who was looking at the floor.

"But not Granger… she's been hanging around with Potter and she knows what to do… It's her job to _save_ the poor Slytherins from their own evil, from their families, from themselves… She's going to show us Gryffindors aren't bad, so we'll all realize the error of our ways and come around!" Eyes were wide everywhere. "She's going to _free_ us… cause we're just another sad and lost cause… What's next? Have you changed SPEW to the Society for the Protection of Evil Wizards." Some of the Slytherins sniggered.

Malfoy was standing inches away from Hermione now, looking down on her with hatred in his eyes.

"Going to save us from ourselves Granger?" He whispered silkily. She visibly shivered. "We don't want your _understanding, _your _compassion_. We don't want your _welcome home_ and your flowers and your chocolates!" His voice was gaining in thunder. "We don't want your acceptance! We want you to stick to your side of the room and leave us the hell alone!" Hermione took a step back as he yelled the last bit, and looked at his face, contorted with fury. "GET IT?" He snapped.

She looked down again, and took a deep breath.

"If that's what you want… that's what I'll do…" She said, so softly only he could hear it… and he was definitely the only one who could understand what she meant. His eyes widened, and he was going to retort but she walked away.

"Sixth year girls, follow me to your dorms. Seventh year girls follow Madeline. Sixth year boys can follow Ron to your dorms, and Seventh year boys follow Michael."

Hermione disappeared up the girls' stair case. The tension in the room slowly dissipated after Hermione left.

Pansy stuck her nose in the air, and she and Millicent followed Hermione out. The Seventh years all went to their respective dorms. Crabbe and Goyle were still enjoying the food Hermione had set out, and Draco didn't feel like being alone in an unfamiliar dorm with Weasely and Potter, so he threw himself into familiar arm chair by the second fireplace and glared at anyone who came close.

Blaise took a seat close by him for the same reason, Draco knew, because he and Blaise were not friends. From then on that fire and those chairs were the "Slytherin section." Unable to tolerate the furtive glances in their direction, Draco got up and went up the stairs, followed by Blaise.

They found the door labeled: "Sixth years" and walked in. Seamus and Dean were in there already, hanging posters on the wall. They stopped, looking really nervous, when the first Slytherins came up.

Draco looked around and recognized his trunk. He went over to unpack his things. Blaise sat on his bed and watched Draco, a twisted smile on his face.

"WHAT!" Draco snapped at the irritating boy sitting on his bed.

Blaise pointed to Draco's pillow. Frowning, Draco picked up the envelope sitting on the pillow and opened it. Inside was a card that said:

_Welcome to Gryffindor Draco,_

_Although we haven't gotten along well in the past, I hope that can change; Especially considering recent events. I meant what I said, all you have to do is ask. Outside that, if there is anything I can do you make you more at home, please let me know. _

_Hermione Granger_

Draco blinked a few times in disbelief. Blaise was snickering, and that caused Draco to look up.

The other boy was sitting on his own bed now, and holding an identical envelope and card. Apparently, the writing amused him greatly.

"What does yours say?" Draco asked quickly.

"_Dear Blaise Zabini,_

_"I don't believe we've ever spoken, but I imagine that will change now that we are house-mates."_

"Imagine! She thinks we're bloody, honorary Gryffindors now or something!"

"_I do however, remember your very astute observation of the magically amplifying effects of blood in potions. Not to insult you, but I've heard that you're quite evil."_

"Malfoy, she drew a smiley face!" Malfoy snorted in reply.

"_But I'm sure that's exaggerated."_

"Ha, if only you knew!" Malfoy said darkly.

Dean and Seamus were looking scandalized.

"_I hope to learn more about potions from you, as your grades always seem to endanger my standing."_

"Good lord, another smiley face."

"_Perhaps we can study together some time. Do make yourself at home. _

"_Hermione Granger."_

"I can't believe it, she actually wrote personal letters to all of us." Draco said, when he discovered similar cards on Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott's beds.

"Aww, and look, there are little silver and gold chocolates beneath the cards!" Blaise said in a very honeyed voice, then he burst into maniacal laughter.

Draco saw Seamus and Dean exchanging looks of disgust before turning away.

Draco fell onto his bed, suddenly feeling extremely antisocial.

He looked up at the velvety black curtains and tried not to think about how he'd yelled at Granger.. when in truth, she hadn't done anything wrong, other than show she cared.

The truth was, he wasn't angry with her because of anything she had done, he was angry because of what he had done. Draco remembered the disgusted looks on the faces of his house mates when he came outside from the hospital wing, not because he'd saved someone's life… but because it had been Granger.

Pansy, coming to his defense as usual, had pointed out that Granger now owed him a life debt, and the rest of his house had been satisfied. Even so, life had become extremely difficult for him now that his father was in jail.

_It's all Potter's fault_, he told himself, like he always did when he was angry at himself or his father, knowing full well it wasn't true.

Not for the first time, he replayed those first moments of lucidness after the accident. He couldn't remember anything very well until he was in the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey had healed his head injury.

Then he'd been left alone with Granger, and of course the first thing she did was ask the one question he had no idea how to answer.

"_Why?"_

He wished he knew.

Turning restlessly, he closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.


	4. The dream

Note: I actually had this dream. It was so real to me I decided to work it into the story. Take note of it, because you'll see it come up again later. hint hint

**Chapter four: The dream**

Harry burst into laughter as he fell on to the ground and bounced a few times. Draco, who was on his feet, was laughing at him. Tears of mirth were running down their faces.

The sun was bright outside, and the air smelled of pollen and spring. The field was made entirely of lambs ear, the kind as tall as hay. The bluish plants were tipped with lavender flowers.

Hermione was examining one of the flowers now. She was idly petting the furry, soft plant's leafs, while looking at the tiny delicate petals that protruded from the cone-like top of the plant.

"Come on Hermione, try it!" Harry exclaimed, before Draco jumped on him, and easily threw him to the ground where he bounced and laughed some more. The ground was springy, exactly like a trampoline, and the two boys were relishing the escape from reality.

Harry crouched down low, so you couldn't see him through the plants. There was rustling sounds, then Draco tripped and hit the ground where he bounced, and jumped on Harry in retaliation.

They were both laughing, before taking on identical looks of evilness.

Hermione found herself flying up and then down to bounce on the soft earth. That was when she first started to notice the insects.

They were covering every inch of the plants, their stingers poised, buzzing furiously; Wingless, stripe-less hornets and bees of various sizes.

Ignoring the ominous bugs, she crouched low in the field, so she couldn't be seen. She started to crawl, commando-style, through the soft lambs ear, and the stinging wingless bees.

Harry landed very close by to her, bouncing and laughing, and apparently oblivious to the bugs.

"She's right here!" Harry called, spotting Hermione and laughing.

She felt hands on her and then she was floating again and landing in another patch of soft lambs ear.

Draco and Harry were laughing raucously.

"I reckon we should go in...." Harry said, wiping the mirth from his eyes. "Esati Apom Mehinom, eto café nam." He chanted, then, wand-lessly, broom-lessly, he floated upward into the sky.

"Esati Apom Mehinom, eto café nam." Hermione said. Her feet and arms were tingling with stings. Nothing happened.

She spotted Draco walking out of the field, and she decided to walk herself. But when she attempted to get to her feet, she found the stings she'd acquired on the pads of her feet and toes, prevented comfortable walking.

That was when she felt the first wave of panic.

"Draco!" The last thing she remembered, was him turning around, his chin-length blond hair hugging his face, and smiling.

"What the!!!" Hermione gasped and sat up.

There was no sunshine or field of lambs ear and wingless bees.

It was almost pitch black, except for the sliver of moon light that was peeping through her closed bed curtains.

She realized she was in bed, and that she'd experienced an extremely bizarre dream. She was still feeling the aftermath of the shock and panic she'd experienced when she realized she couldn't walk. Her feet were tingling, as her body remembered the bee stings it had invented.

She pushed her hair back, and realized there was cold sweat on her brow. She didn't understand why -- it had been such a happy dream, albeit odd. Harry and Mafloy, best friends? She, calling for Malfoy, instead of Harry, to help her?

She decided to wash her face, and slowly got out of bed.

She left her dorm and made her way up the girls' stairs to the bathroom at the top, noticing that the light was on before she entered.

Pansy was in the bathroom, brewing the potion from the looks of it. She looked up when Hermione entered, and scowled.

"What do you want, Granger?" She snapped. Hermione noticed she was clutching her abdomen.

"Had a bad dream..." Hermione didn't think to lie. "Wanted to wash my face. Are you ill?" Pansy's answer was a flinch. A single tear rolled down her face as she doubled over, clutching her stomach.

"Pansy.. should I get..."

"No.. I just need a de-cramping draft. I normally make it before I go to sleep when I know my rag's coming... but it's early this month." She explained her voice tight with pain.

"Here...." Hermione bent down and started on the potion while Pansy rocked back and forth, trying to ignore the pain.

"What are you doing?" Pansy gasped, and stopped Hermione from adding Mertlap to the mixture.

"It's alright, it'll relieve the pain as well as loosen the muscles. Madame Pomfrey told me about it." Pansy let go, and didn't protest anymore. Hermione was done adding ingredients, they watched the potion thicken and she took it off to cool.

"Were you feeling stressed lately? That normally causes it to come early." Hermione said.

"Why do you care?" Pansy snapped. Hermione just shrugged.

"Well, with what happened to your boyfriend, it's not surprising." Hermione said offhanded.

"He's not... we're not..." Pansy began, looking pained. "Why does everyone assume...." Pansy spat to herself.

"Same reason as me, I suppose.... That, and its fun for everyone to speculate which one I'm with." Hermione knew Pansy was one of the people who'd spread the rumors that she was going back and forth between her two best friends, but ignored it.

The potion looked to be the right color, and it had stopped steaming. Hermione expertly strained the mixture into a beaker, and handed it to Pansy. She then started to clean up the caldron and supplies, which were spread over the bathroom floor.

By the time Hermione was done with the mess, Pansy had finished drinking the horrid substance, and was sighing with relief.

"That mertlap really makes a difference! I'll have to remember to pick some up in hogsmede. Thanks Granger." She added, looking really grateful. Then she stood up, and became businesslike.

"So.... What was your dream about, then?" Pansy said so quickly, she took Hermione off guard. Hermione's reddening face was her only response.

"It's too early for the life-debt to be affecting you..." Pansy continued. "I know it starts with dreams."

"Did you have a life-debt?" Hermione asked, surprised that Pansy seemed to know so much about it.

"Not me..." The other replied, looking down. "My Mum."

Hermione's eyes were wide.

"Said it started with odd dreams, inappropriate dreams...." She couldn't suppress a small smile.

"It wans't!" Hermione's face was burning. Pansy's smirk grew.

"Then she couldn't stay away from him... wanted to be around him so she could save his life in return.... She offered repayment through deed or good, but he wouldn't take it..."

"What happened?" Hermione breathed. Pansy shrugged.

"Married him." She smiled. Hermione nearly fell over.

"Your parents?" She exclaimed. Pansy nodded.

"Don't look so shocked Granger, that's not going to happen to you. Draco told everyone what you offered, he'll take you up on it before you start getting weird on him." She reassured.

Hermione's entire face darkened with embarrassment and anger.

"He.... Told ... .everyone?"

"Well, he told me, and _I_ told everyone.... Oh, DO use your common sense!" She snapped when Hermione looked mutinous. Realization hit the bushy haired girl.

"I did think they'd hold it against him... saving me... so you told them all about the life-debt so they wouldn't turn on him."

"There you go.... You're earning your reputation." Pansy sneered.

"So... so... when you said '_getting weird'_ ... what does that mean exactly?"

"Well... My mum already liked my dad before he saved her, and she said she was even more taken with him because of it, so she wasn't sure if the life-debt caused the love she felt for him or if it was herself."

Hermione gasped. "Ginny!" Pansy raised a thin, brown, eyebrow. "Ginny... Harry saved her life, and then....But last year we all fought together, we all defended each other. I wonder... Do you know what happens if you owe someone your life more than once?" Hermione was breathless. Pansy's arched brows crossed.

"Harry's saved all our lives more times than we can count." Hermione added. "How many people owe him their lives... Me and Ron, Ginny and Nevil, Siri---"Hermione trailed off. "Loads of people."

Pansy snorted. "Perfect Potter, saving everyone's lives."

"And even after all of that, he still beats himself up over Cedric."

"Is it...." Pansy began, looking uneasy. "Is it true, did Potter.. really battle The Dark Lord?" Hermione looked up. Pansy seemed to regret asking.

"Yes. Harry fought him, he'll never admit it, but it was a draw. Then he escaped with Cedric's body." Pansy's eyes were wide and glassy.

"Pans—" Millicent Bulstrode had walked into the bathroom, and spotted Hermione. "Just coming to check on you, is Granger giving you trouble?" She asked, look ominous.

"Nah, it's alright Milly. I'm fine now thanks." Pansy said, her face masked with brightness.

"I suppose not, after those touching little love notes. Didn't know you cared Granger..." Sneered Millicent. Hermione had anticipated this line of teasing, and had a retort ready.

"Yes, about you in particular, _Milly._" Hermione said, and winked.

Pansy snorted.

"Good night, _'Mione_" She said sarcastically, then walked past Millicent and out of the door. Millicent eyed her appraisingly for a moment longer, before following Pansy out.

Hermione's coy smile dropped. She was alone now, the white marble of the bathroom seemed over bright compared to the darkness outside.

"Ginny loved – loves – Harry... So do I, really... Does that mean?" She thought, and reflected back on her dream. She recalled the desperate feeling of panic as she watched Draco leaving the field, and the fluttery sensation when he turned back and smiled.

"Good Lord, is it already happening?" Panic returned. She knew she needed to pay her debt and fast. She also knew, that the only payment which successfully nullified the debt, was saving the collector's life, or rendering a service that somehow altered the debtor's life.

She would have to do something that exacted a change in how she thought or acted.

Hermione turned on the tap water and started washing her face. After the tears and the sweat were gone from her cheeks and brows, she returned to the darkened dormitory.

The velvet curtains were drawn around Pansy and Millicent's beds. Hermione got into her own and willed herself to stop thinking.

"Granger..." Pansy's voice carried across the room from her bed. "Draco can be a bastard sometimes, it's true... But don't worry, he's not so bad that he'd torture you with this life-debt thing. So ..." She trailed off, trying to sound reassuring and derogatory at the same time.

There was a stretch of silence, where Hermione carefully thought out her response.

"People who do good things, whether it's as grand as saving someone's life, or a small as reassuring someone whose uncomfortable, be they Gryffindor or Slytherin, can't be all that bad."

Silence was her answer. Hermione closed her eyes, satisfied with the response.

a/n: Please let me know how my character development is. So far, Hermione's going out of her way to accommodate and be friendly to the Slytherins. I'm trying to make them act realistically to their effort.

Review!


	5. The gathering storm

**Chapter five: The gathering storm**

"I can't take much more of this…" Blaise remarked, his normally cool and callous voice, now filled with irritation.

It had been a week since the Slytherins had found themselves expatriated from their home. The Gryffindors were ignoring them for the most part, _sticking to their side of the room _ and _leaving them alone_, just as Draco had instructed Hermione to do their first night in.

It would've been fine, if they would all just shut up for a bit. As it was, the Gryffindors tended to make an inordinate amount of noise; Everything from gossiping, to singing, with the occasional _fit of tongues_. (That was what the other Gryffindors called it when Lavender fell to her knees and began making a prediction, sometimes incorporating strange neologisms.)

Dean was mostly responsible for the singing, not because he sang, but because he played the guitar. The other Gryffindors found singing along together to be a lovely little pastime. The Slytherins found the group-singing of what must've been folk music, extremely disturbing.

Draco found that nothing was quite as horrendous as watching Harry Potter and Hermione Granger singing together, especially that particular ballad that seemed to be constructed solely for psychopathic couples. He was told the composer was called "Nine Inch Nails," a fitting name for an insane muggle, in Draco's opinion.

He remembered his shock when Potter came down the boy's stairs after dinner, dressed in an overly large black shirt that extended past his knuckles to cover all but his fingers, and huge jeans that were cut off and frayed at his mid calf. His trainers, Draco was told, were called "chucks," and were the preferred shoe of "punks," what ever that was.

A Stab of horror went through Draco when he caught sight of the back of the cutt-off wonders, where two frayed slits stood open beneath the two back pockets on either butt cheek. You could see his boxers through the slits.

Draco would've very much liked to tell Potter to go upstairs and change, but that would mean admitting he had _seen_ what made those trousers so inappropriate, which would also mean admitting he had been _looking_ at Potter's rear, which he was not prepared to do.

To further his horror, the trouser-made-shorts, seemed to be Potter's favorite thing to wear.

This evening in particular, found Potter sitting in those shorts, between Granger and Thomas, singing what Draco and Blaise had dubbed "The sociopath song."

"_With the lights out_

_It's less dangerous_

_Here we are now_

_Entertain us_

_I feel stupid_

_And contagious_

_Here we are now_

_Entertain us.._

_Yeah!"_

"God.. make it stop." Pansy moaned, which only irked Draco's thinning patience even more.

It also did not help that Granger's favorite clothes included a large baggy shirt that looked like it belonged to Potter or Weasely, and the tiniest shorts he'd ever seen.

Draco was still puzzling over how she got them on, because in addition to being toooo short, they were also skin tight. He could see her panty line through the shorts when she bent over. After encounters like that, he'd have to leave the room for a breather, and then beat his face against the wall in self-disgust.

"At least it's not that other toneless trash…" Draco muttered back, referring to their other favorite piece of music, which Draco imagined could go quite well with the death scene from Romeo and Juliet. He was keeping his eyes on his book, and ignoring Granger's legs.

It wasn't his fault, he reasoned. Slytherin girls were proper pure bloods who did not wear such things. Skin was rarely shown in the common room, as those who did change out of their uniforms, tended to wear casual robes that covered even more than the uniform did.

Seduction, although this thinking was completely against the stereotype, was not a part of the Slytherin's life style. Alas, all purebloods were expected to be virgins until marriage, and there happened to be a full proof charm to detect premarital relations for both genders. The purity expectation, coupled with the tradition of arranged marriages, made risky clothes and even dating an exercise in futility, so no one really bothered. Cunning and ambition were all find and well, but they did not override practicality.

Never did Draco lament his fate, until he happened upon a truly horrific site. He was innocently going to his room during lunch to get some extra studying done, but instead found himself studying Lavender's body on Seamus' bed. After some screaming and yelling, and much blushing, Draco removed himself from the situation posthaste. Only afterwards, when he had calmed down a bit, did he begin hitting his head against the wall in a new kind of self-disgust; Jealousy.

_Jealous of a half-muggle_. He thought in disgust, _Just because he's allowed to sleep around like an animal_.

Draco had always been taught, just like all other purebloods of high class, that only lowly plebeians, who were no better than animals, slept around and bred outside of wedlock. One who could not maintain one's virginity had no control over himself, and gave in to carnal desires mindlessly. He still believed it was true, but that belief didn't help to quell his raging hormones.

It was a mark of how desperate the situation was getting, that he actually tried to talk to Zabini civilly about what he had seen, in hopes of getting some reassurance. He thought Blaise, more than anyone else, would understand his feelings on the matter. In a typical Blaise-style, the black haired boy had given just the opposite: Reminding Draco that _after_ he was married, he could screw who ever he wanted. Then Blaise had run from the room, laughing like a maniac, to avoid Draco who was intent on pounding his face in.

So Draco found himself caught at an ethical cross road, torn between hatred of the Gryffindors with their proletarian blood and their common culture, and the admiration he had of Hermione Granger's legs.

"At least that's all she's got… it could be worse…" Crabbe reminded him, having suffered the same affliction. Draco pretended not to know what he was talking about, and determinately stared at the book on his lap.

"We've got to get out of here." Blaise muttered horridly, as the song changed and more Gryffindors joined in the singing.

"Any ideas?" Millicent asked desperately, eyeing Potter's boxers through the slits on his rear with hungry eyes.

"There must be a way to secure the Slytherin dorms. Make them safe from The Dark Lord." Pansy, ever the lust-less, said.

"As if he'd destroy our dorms, half our parents are following him." Goyle muttered, and received several "shhh!"'s in response.

"_We_ know it's safe, but we've got to make sure everyone else knows it's safe before they'll let us go back." Blaise said.

"Well…. What can we do?"

"We have to restore the foundation magic, except it must be bound to someone else, who will never try to destroy it with his blood." Draco said, his eyes on his book.

All eyes turned to him, and the circle drew closer together.

"What?" But Crabbe was ignored.

"How?" Blaise's more prudent question was answered.

"The same way it was done the first time. The same magic used to create Hogwarts." Draco answered.

"But that'll need a really powerful wizard!" Gasped Pansy. "The person invoking the spell has to transfigure nearly 1/6 of the castle at once! The dungeons connect to the foundation of Hogwarts… if the spell is botched…"

"Which is probably why Dumbledor hasn't done it yet. That, and you'd have to be in the epicenter of what you are transfiguring. It's too dangerous for anyone to go down there long enough to perform the spell, the stone could come crashing down around you." Said Draco.

"But we already know that isn't going to happen…" Millicent said.

"But who could summon the magic." Blaise looked around at his expatriated compatriots.

"_Spend all your time waiting_

_For that Second chance_

_For the Break that'll make it okay_

_There's always one reason_

_To feel not-good enough_

_And it's hard at the end of the day_

_I need some distraction _

_OH, Beautiful release_

_As the Memory seeps through my veins_

_Let me be empty_

_And weightless and maybe_

_We'll find some peace tonight.."_

The Slytherin's eyes widened at the beautiful, mellifluous song, so full of bittersweet sadness that was coming from Hermione Granger. There heads floated upward from their huddle, to watch her as she poured her heart out to the admiring crowd. Outside, rain lashed against the windows and seemed to come from no where, as the frame only gave view to an endless sea of darkness. Inside the common room, however, two fires were sending warm light over the cushy chairs of mixed color. On one such chair, Hermione's voice mirrored the firelight, warm and calming.

"_In the arms of an angel_

_Fly away from here_

_From your dark cold hotel room_

_And endlessness that you feel_

_You were pulled from the wreckage_

_Of your silent reverie_

_Your in the arms of the angel_

_May you find some comfort here…" _

"We don't need her." Draco said at once, noticing the directions his friends were taking.

"Draco, listen… They only had to transfigure small portions of the castle at once. These were the greatest wizards of the age, and even _they_ couldn't have handled 1/6 of the castle all at the same time." Pansy reasoned.

"Dumbledor's the only one who can do it… no student would even stand a chance…" Millicent added.

"Not even Granger?" Blaise asked. The Slytherins' lips tightened as one.

They hated to admit the blaring truth: Granger was brilliant in everything to do with magic, even more so than some of them.

"Even the mudblood. No one could do it.." Draco confirmed.

"So why even bring it up and give us hope?" Millicent snapped at him. She didn't like bringing up the refutation of all her beliefs for no good reason.

"Because there is more than one of us." Draco said simply. Blaise gave an annoyed snort.

"What?" Crabbe said again.

"I said, no _one_ could do it." Draco repeated. "That doesn't mean that more than one couldn't do it."

"But how?" Blaise, ever the more prudent, asked.

"That's what I've been looking up. Imagine if you could work in exact tandem with someone else." Draco held up the book he had been trying to read.

In an extreme fit of irony, the book was Moste Potente Potions. The page opened was an amazingly complex potion called "The _Synergist potion_."

"What does it do?" Millicent asked.

"Bind the drinkers' minds together, so they can perform magic as one. The more drinkers the more risky. At best, it'll allow the drinkers to cast a spell in tandem, combining all of their powers as one, at worst, it'll make the drinkers permanently insane." He shrugged. "If we are going to do it, this is probably the only way."

"How long have you been researching this?" Pansy asked incredulously.

"Since I discovered the dormitory to be a sick haven of lunatics, I took refuge in the library and… well… it gets boring in there. Zabini isn't the only one who wants out of this hole." Draco replied, and shuddered at the memory of Seamus and Lavender.

"What did you see?" Asked Millicent slyly. A sickening smile warped Blaise's features when Malfoy shuddered.

"Nothing I need ever think on again!" He snapped back, then began rubbing his forehead furiously. "Honestly, it's been a constant headache since I got here.. don't they EVER shut up?" He snarled.

"Oi!" Blaise called, standing up. Potter, who had resumed singing another depressed song, fell silent, as did everyone else. Hands slowly went to wand handles all over the room, as though the Gryffindors had been expecting this all along. "Much better." Blaise said to the shocked-silent common room. He sat down again.

Talk resumed in distinctly low and annoyed tones.

"So when do we do it?" Pansy asked.

"Zabini, how long will it take to brew this at your top speed." Draco handed the brilliant potions student the book. This was another milestone along the path of desperation- Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were actually willing to work together - and every one in the circle knew it.

Blaise examined it, his brows furrowing as his eyes moved down the page.

"I don't think I can brew this…" He said at last.

Draco made an irritated noise, and gestured him to get on with it.

"Alright, if I tried, it would take a week… the week of the black moon."

"Black moon?" Goyle asked.

"It's what you call it when the moon is completely covered by the earth from the sun's rays. Then the moon is reborn as the crescent and it begins the cycle of waxing until it is full, and waning again until it is gone." Millicent supplied.

"I still don't think I can make this." Blaise said fretfully. "Besides the complexity of the mixture, the ingredients are .. well… illegal. How on earth are we going to come by powdered basilisk tooth?" He muttered to himself.

Pansy looked up at Draco, who was determinedly looking out of the window.

"She had a dream some nights ago, got her all bothered in the loo." Pansy said softly.

"What do I care." Draco replied with harshness.

"We all want to get out of here…" Millicent added with similar softness.

"You know she can get the powdered basilisk tooth…." Pansy added.

"And anything else really… If she gets caught that's her problem." Blaise said. "And I could use an extra hand, someone who really knows potions, to help me brew this muck."

"Haven't you read the entire page?" Draco asked. "Who ever is involved in brewing it has to be the one to drink it. If she helps, she'll have to be one of the drinkers."

"Combining brains with you for a bit would certainly change her outlook on life." Pansy smiled. "And no one in Slytherin could fault you for using Granger like this, She'd be helping us get our dorm back… ensuring the safety and continued prosperity of all of Slytherin house."

"If they can't get the dorm back, they might just stop sorting people into Slytherin. They'd just eliminate the house completely." Milly added.

"Can't fault me? We have to use an effing Gryffindor to rebuild our dorm, it's the embarrassment of all Slytherins." Draco defended. "Look," He cut them off before they could respond. "Maybe you are ok with becoming part of Granger's brain for a bit, but I am not." He said to them. "And if it doesn't work, that's it… Our brains will be stuck together forever… what a lovely life!"

"Then don't be one of the drinkers." Blaise said lightly. "Problem solved. I'll drink, so will Granger… we need people who are good at transfiguration." Blaise looked around at the other Slytherins.

Pansy was looking at Draco.

"Did you have something else you wanted her to do?" She asked knowingly. "Is that why you don't want this?"

Draco was still looking out of the window onto the nothingness of the storm. He shook his head.

Blaise smiled slyly.

"Perhaps you wanted to examine those shorts more closely?" He suggested.

Immediately Draco was on his feet and had his housemate by the collar of his robes. The two boys were almost nose to nose.

The other Slytherins' faces mirrored their horror. Draco always had too much brass when it came to Blaise's comments- because all the others knew NEVER to piss of Blaise Zabini.

"Easy!" Blaise said, the sly humor still on his face.

"Take. That. Back." Draco snapped. The common room was once again silent as the others looked onto the altercation.

"Draco, let him go." Pansy ordered and motioned to Crabbe and Goyle to break them up, which they did.

Draco's nerves were already frayed, and all he wanted was an excuse to pound someone's face in just to have it all out with. Crabbe, who was now restraining him, seemed like a good candidate, but now more than ever, Slytherins had to protect their own, so he mastered the impulse to hex his housemate, and instead stormed off up the boy's stair case.

"Sensitive." Blaise remarked casually as Draco retreated.

"It's stupid comments like that which keep you two from being friends!" Pansy spat at him, and stormed off as well.

"Is anyone else going to overreact tonight?" Blaise asked the others. The group fell silent, and allowed the sound of the thrashing rain outside and the renewed singing of the Gryffindors to wash over them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The rain continued into the next day, blackening the day light that normally pierced through the large castle windows.

Draco's temper had not improved with sleep, as he had hoped it would. Because he had went up so early, he slept early, and consequently felt groggy with over-sleep. He barely noticed where he was going on his way to the great hall for breakfast, and accidentally brushed past someone ahead of him with a little too much force. He recalled himself when the person hit the floor and he was nearly knocked backwards.

"Sorry…" He muttered quickly and distractedly. He took another step back when he saw that it was Hermione Granger who was getting to her feet. Her hair was hiding her face, and even if it were tied back, her eyes were glued to the floor as she righted herself. She turned away and continued towards the great hall without a word.

If anything this behavior annoyed him even more.

He had noticed, of course, her change in behavior towards him since he'd told her off that first night in the tower. Ever since then she hadn't looked him in the face, nor had she spoken a word to him unless she had to in class. At first, he had thought she was ill, because a pink blush suffused her face every time he caught sight of her, but last night, when Pansy mentioned the dream that had disturbed Granger into wakefulness, he connected the dots.

The result filled him with self-disgust, not because the connection between himself and Granger was solidifying, but because that connection gave him hope. He had to admit to himself in that moment, that he had spent most of his time in school, fuming with jealousy over Famous- Potter and Perfect- Granger. Because of recent events, he was not only one-up on Potter, but he was also connected to someone Potter was, in a deeper way than Potter himself.

It was silly really, but saving Hermione was like vindication at last. For a moment, hope flowed through, because he proved through action something he'd been trying to do his whole life: that he could be just as much the hero as Potter was. More than that, with the debt Hermione owed him, he could make her choose himself over Potter… it was that last thought which filled him with sickness and self-disgust more than any other.

He tried to reason with himself, tell himself that he was used to getting everything, and it wasn't unnatural to want the fame and glory and friends Potter had; That it wasn't wrong for him to want to beat Potter at something, even if it was just securing the …loyalty or… friendship or WHATEVER! From Hermione.. just as long as it was something… anything he beat Harry at.

Last night, Blaise's comment reawakened these thoughts and the sense of self-disgust -that he'd had to force off his face- when the realization hit him. It reminded him of why he didn't want to use the life-debt on anything but beating Potter.

Still, if winning over Potter meant having this twist of guilt every time he saw Hermione _obeying_ him, and leaving him alone, than it really wasn't so great after all.

He shrugged and continued to the great hall, deciding not to think on it any longer.

He kept that promise to himself until break, when the rain forced the students into empty classrooms rather than the courtyard.

He walked into a classroom of stricken and tense faces. Two people were standing, Elise DeFey, a Slytherin third year, and some hufflepuff kid who looked like a third or forth year. The two were yelling at the top of their lungs at each other.

"…Act like we wanted this!" Elise was yelling when Draco walked in. "We didn't want to be a part of your stinking house of losers."

"It doesn't change the fact that you are now on OUR turf! You Slytherins can't strut around with arrogance picking on who you like anymore! The whole lot of you are no good, everyone says so… and you've got no house now because of it. You'd think you'd be a little humbled by the experience. In any case, being inOUR house means following OUR rules, and if you don't like it.. you can clear off to Azkaban where you belong!" The hufflepuff screamed.

There were some enthusiastic 'YEAH!'s from the crowd that had gathered behind the belligerent girl. A crowd of Slytherins had also gathered behind Elise, red faced with fury and embarrassment.

Draco stood at the door, eyeing his prey critically.

"_follow _our _rules_." Draco quoted softly. "What rules are those?" He drawled. He stifled a laugh at the look of horror that crossed the hufflepuffs' faces. Elise and her friends spun around with looks of deepest relief and appreciation, their savior had come. Draco might be a bastard to those in other houses, but Slytherins protected their own.

The hufflepuff girl who had been yelling put her nose in the air, and, in a show of Gryffindor bravery, stepped forward to speak determinedly.

"It's no secret.. none of us want you lot in our houses, and you don't want to be there. So the ground rule of this temporary housing arrangement applies. But oh no! Ms. Highborn Pureblood apparently thinks our dormitory is her personal thrown room… and that she can just walk in, use whatever bed she wants, take up all the bookshelf space… and order us around like we're her house elves." The hufflepuff declared. There were appreciative sniggers from the crowd backing her.

"And what is the _ground rule of this temporary housing arrangement?_" Draco drawled dangerously. The hufflepuff gulped, but did not back down.

"They stick to their side and leave us alone." She bit out.

_Stick to your side….leave us the hell alone…._ The words Draco had yelled in anger came unbidden back to his mind, making his eyes widen and his lips part.

Elise' brows furrowed as she watched his reaction. Pansy, who was in the room with Millicent, stood up and made her way over to where Draco stood, apparently galvanized.

"It's alright." Pansy said, taking control of the situation. "Elise, I'll arrange for another bookshelf to be brought into the third year hufflepuff dormitory. As for the bedding arrangement, I know you don't like being close to the window, so perhaps we can get a book self large enough to block that part of the wall…" Elise smiled.

"Does anyone else have any problems?" Pansy glared around at the entire room. "You should talk to a prefect before you start yelling Ms. Jennings, if you used a little intelligence, you might be able to sort out your problems _before_ reverting to embarrassing displays of emotion." Pansy snapped at the Hufflepuff, who had the grace enough to look abashed.

"I like that window." Ms. Jennings replied quietly. "Just cause she wants to live in something like a dungeon… sun light is good for you."

"Then you can sleep next to the sodding window!" Elise snapped.

Draco snorted before Pansy could retort. She turned to look at him intently, her brow creasing with worry.

"Jennings… did you know that windows break when you throw things at them…" Draco asked quietly. His voice was so soft it gave everyone in the room chills.

"Cunning observation…" The cheeky thirteen year old replied.

"If you were sleeping next to a window, and woke up covered in glass shards… would you ever want to sleep next to one again?" Draco asked, just as lightly.

"Malfoy!" Pansy snapped at him. Elise's face was a shadow of a tortured past.

Draco stepped forward and put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. She jumped slightly.

"I didn't…" Jennings began, looking extremely abashed.

"You didn't… what? You didn't ask why she doesn't like windows? You assumed we were all evil megalomaniacs who enjoy sleeping in dark holes and keeping pet snakes?" He was back to his normal drawl.

"Hypocrite!" Jennings snapped back, it was easier to hate a sneering-Draco, than a quiet-angry Draco. "Accuse us of keeping stereotypes when you lot hate muggles and muggle-borns.. .and for what?" Draco snorted, still rubbing Elise' shoulder like a big brother as silent tears streamed down her face.

"You didn't ask what broke the window did you?" Jennings paled. "You walked right into that, you know. Yes, Muggle children broke the window in an attempt to punish the weird girl on the block." Elise stifled a sob.

"Muggles can't understand us… ever. Nor can we understand them. Every muggleborn allowed to know about our world is one more risk to the exposure of our world. Or do you think we should be exposed, Jennings?" He asked, his voice back to being soft and dangerous. "I asked you a question." He snapped in a perfect impression of Snape's hissing whisper.

"My Parents are muggles." She whispered back, her eyes down cast. "It wasn't a mistake to tell them… It wasn't a mistake to let me in."

"I suppose your friends are muggles too… did you ever try to tell them?" The look on her face was response enough. "Ah, that's a normal thing for muggle-borns to do, I suppose they didn't take it well. Let me tell you something, my parents were raised with stories of the boshin witch hunts of the 1900's…. If we were exposed, I expect the same would happen today, and do you know why?" She didn't respond.

"Because muggles think just like you Jennings… they'll accept what they've heard in rumors, and never question their own beliefs… they'll act out with aggression before trying to sort out the situation with civility." The hufflepuff looked on the verge of tears.

"Draco…." Pansy began.

"Maybe we do deserve it Jennings…" Draco told the Hufflepuff. "Maybe the whole lot of us are evil, in truth. It's apparent this is an issue that cannot be resolved with a bookshelf… No it's deeper than that…. We haven't just lost our dorm, we've lost our pride. That's why Elise and I are standing here, trying to make you understand instead of sticking to our side of the room and leaving you alone. Displacement does strange things to people." He meant it in more ways than anyone could understand. Draco took a breath and his eyes sought a familiar face in the room.

She was looking at him, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar, like she'd never seen anything like him.

"Granger." He said, after their eyes met. He took another deep breath. "I'm calling in my favor."


	6. Blaise Zabini

Hey All. A big thanks to CH, JC and Josie for reviewing my story.

For all the rest of you, I'd really like feed back on the following:

Character development of Hermione/Draco/Harry and most of all Blaise.

Plot flow (does it seem planned or on the fly)

Dialogue: does it seem realistic?

Please review and tell me how I'm doing on those points, and anything else that sticks out at you.

**Chapter six: Blaise Zabini**

"Draco.." Pansy caught him before he went through the portrait hole. He paused and waited for her to catch up. "You don't have to do this..." She said. He cocked an eyebrow at her. She frowned.

"The first step in destroying a society is to take away their pride. When people begin to feel ashamed of who they are, they'll assimilate into something else." Draco said softly, wondering what had gotten into him. "My Uncle Lacivios told me that, of course, he wanted me to use that knowledge to strip _others_ of their pride." His smile was tight. "It's already happening. How can we feel good about ourselves when hatred is pouring in on us from all sides? When everyone is reminding us we're getting what we deserve. We've already been divided.... And now they'll pick us off one by one..."

"That's a twisted way of thinking." Blaise said, as he appeared from a corner where he was eavesdropping. "_Us_ against _them._ Always at war, Malfoy?"

"Yes, except _Us_ does not include _you." _Draco bit out. Blaise smiled.

"Did you ask her yet?" Draco shook his head.

"I'm telling her tonight, we should begin immediately if we want to make this month's black moon."

"And the third drinker?" Blaise asked.

"Who says there has to be three?" Pansy asked.

"I'd say it'll take at least three people to transfigure that much rock... maybe more."

"If I felt like this wasn't my responsibility, I wouldn't have done anything." Draco said, and stepped through the portrait hole.

Pansy and Blaise followed, the former with a worried frown, and latter with a smirk.

The news that Draco Malfoy was going to ask Hermione to pay her life-debt had spread to all the Gryffindors. There was no singing or mild talk in the common room tonight. When Malfoy walked in everything went still and quiet.

Potter, Granger and Weasely were sitting together on a small couch. Potter and Weasley were flanking Granger like body guards, and growled menacingly when Draco appeared.

Draco was looking right at her, but her eyes were fixed on the floor.

"Upstairs." He said quietly.

There was a snort. "We don't have time for that." Zabini choked out, nearly crying with mirth, before Pansy glared at him. Draco looked murderous.

"Not now Draco, we need him alive for what we've got to do." She led Blaise by the ear up the boys' staircase.

Draco hadn't moved, but continued to stare at Granger. Finally, she, Potter and Weasely rose as one.

"Look Malfoy." Potter began. "Hermione is going to do what you want, and we can't talk her out of it... That we understand."

"But just because she's got to do you a favor, doesn't mean you can ask whatever you bloody well want." Weasely said.

"If you ask her for... for anything... which makes her uncomfortable..." The implication was clear, and Potter didn't get a chance to finish the sentence.

Draco's wand was on him.

"How. Dare. You." Draco spat with venom. Potter drew his own wand, and the two combatants were still for minutes as they sized each other up.

"Please..." Hermione's voice broke the tense silence. "Let's just.... Get this over with." She turned without a word and walked up the boys' stair case.

Draco slowly pocketed his wand. With one last contemptuous look at Potter, he followed.

His dormitory was rather dark because of the rain that continued to lash the windows. Blaise had started a fire, and was taking a seat next to Pansy on his bed.

Granger was standing in the middle of the room, her arms folded, her gaze lowered, and her eyes bright. She was still wearing her uniform, except that she had disposed of the outer robe, and was left in her skirt, shirt, vest and socks.

"Sit." He commanded, and she sat on Goyle's bed, which was next to Blaise's.

He took a seat on Pansy's other side and then took a deep breath.

"Granger, I need ... want.. your help." She wasn't looking at him, but nodded. "We need our dormitory back." Her bright eyes widened, and she looked up. "I already know what needs to be done. We're going to use foundation magic..." she opened her mouth to speak. "And the Synergy potion, to combine the powers of several people."

Her mouth hung open in shock.

"That's against a dozen school rules.." She muttered at last. Blaise snorted delicately.

"Yes, and the three of you are prefects, oh the irony." He said, and then caught Pansy's hand before it could hit him. His sneer grew serious. "I need help brewing it, it will require constant care, and anyone who brews it must drink it as well." She looked confused. "Because the brewer must cast several spells on the brew and add their own blood." Blaise supplied.

"Is ... that all?" She asked. Blaise snorted.

"Isn't that enough?" He asked.

"You've got to collect the ingredients, help Blaise with the potion, and be one of the drinkers.... Then we'll need to go to the epicenter of the dungeons and cast the foundation magic. If it's successful, we'll be back home... if not, we'll be dead I expect." Draco said.

"Or at the very least expelled." Pansy said.

"What makes you think we won't be expelled even if it does work?" Hermione asked, stricken.

"Well, part of the castle will be bound to our blood." Said Blaise. "We could always threaten to bring the entire place down on their heads." He winked.

"But that's!"

"It's better that sticking around..." Draco bit out.

"Who is drinking?" Hermione asked.

"You, Me and Malfoy." Blaise answered. Hermione's brows furrowed.

"I was under the impression that your best subject was charms." Hermione told Draco. He shrugged.

"There aren't many people who are that good at transfiguration." Draco said.

"Harry is." Hermione said.

"Yes, but _you_ are the only one whose got a life-debt we can call on, whose also good at transfiguration. But really Malfoy, for all the times Potter's nearly died, you coulda done to save him once or twice." Blaise said, and Pansy snorted.

"Must remember that when I'm fighting along side him." Malfoy drawled.

"Do you want me to ask him?"

"No." Malfoy spat. "It's bad enough needing--- wanting your help... we don't need St. Potter, we can do this without him."

"Actually Draco.. I was going to have her get Basilisk tooth from Potter." Blaise said.

"Well.... If he's willing, but that'll be _it._" Draco said grudgingly.

"Having that invisibility cloak for when you go down to the dungeons wouldn't be a bad idea either." Pansy reminded him softly.

"I'll ask him, he won't mind helping me if it'll mean I'm free from this debt." Hermione said.

"What a lovely friend!" Blaise drawled.

"I don't want Potter any more involved than we have to." Draco said, sounding like a petulant child. "We don't need him."

"Right... well, can I see the specifications for the potion, I don't recall them all that well."

Blaise produced Moste Potente Potions, opened it, and handed it to Hermione.

She read, muttering as her eyes continued down the page.

"Basilisk tooth... but they already mentioned they don't have any.... Dragon's blood, that's a class B tracked substance, we'll have to steal it from Snape..... Knott grass cut on Beltane, where on earth.... Aspen leaves, don't have any of those... Sage, that's expected, but it doesn't say whether it should be fresh or dry.... I'll need to do some research." She continued this manner for each ingredient. She went silent when she read over the directions.

"I... I can't brew this..." Hermione said, looking up.

"I already told them, it's too much, it needs a potions master." Blaise said shrugging.

"Why can't either of you brew it?" Draco asked, getting annoyed.

"The spells." Blaise said. "The ones you need to cast as you brew it... it only mentions the ones you need to say in passing, but not what actually is said." When Draco and Pansy looked confused, he continued. "Among the spells are some to preserve the ingredients, or extract essential oils.... But one of them is an ancient magic to imbue the substance with magical empathy... Those spells are trade secrets of the potions guild, and only guildsmen have access to them."

"Do you know a lot about magical empathy?" Hermione asked, her eyes bright with excitement now. Blaise shrugged.

"It's a very interesting concept isn't it..." Blaise began, but was cut off.

"Fascinating, alright, how do we get our hands on the spell." Pansy snapped.

"We could check the restricted section?" Hermione suggested.

"It's a guild kept trade secret, I doubt they've committed the spell to paper... guilds are notorious for their oral traditions." Blaise said.

"You seem very knowledgeable on the subject." Hermione said suspiciously. Indeed, coming from a boy she'd never heard speak before this incident, he seemed to know an awful lot.

Hermione looked him over again.

Blaise Zabini was not the type of boy your eyes would rest on when scanning a room. He was average looking on first glance, to be sure. His hair was an almost black, brown, and his eyes were hardly lighter. His skin was of a bronze tint, but it was obviously sun starved. He looked slightly foreign, but not conspicuously so. He was the same height and build as Draco, but without the platinum hair or eyes he didn't cut such an impressive figure. Still, he wasn't bad looking at all, and he'd certainly look better if he wiped the sneer off his face more often.

Right now, his face was impassive as he surveyed her, much the same way she was surveying him.

"My mother is a Potions Mistress." He said tonelessly.

"Can we get the spell from her?"

Blaise snorted, Draco tutted and Pansy actually looked sympathetic.

"Women aren't allowed in guilds." Pansy said.

"What!" Hermione was on her feet. "What kind of backwards..." She huffed, unable to think of words to express her outrage.

"I'll ask her anyway.. she might've seduced it out of one of them..." Blaise said off handedly.

To Hermione's great surprise, that small comment had Draco on his feet, holding Blaise by the collar of his robes just as he had done last night.

"You're pushing it Zabini!" He hissed. Blaise had not flinched as he was seized, but rather, he smirked as Draco put his furious face right in Blaise's.

"Careful Malfoy... you keep forgetting you need me for this little endeavor." His sneer dropped and his voice was menacing.

"You want out just like I do." Draco retorted.

"We all want out, and if you can work with Granger, you can work with each other.. honestly!" Pansy said, as she took hold of Draco's robe and pulled him to the other side of the bed so that she separated the two.

Blaise righted his collar and smoothed his casual robe, his smirk back in place.

"And if your mum doesn't have the spell?" Hermione asked.

"Or won't give it to you..." Pansy added.

Blaise looked pensive.

"Snape. He's a guildsman."

Draco snorted. "Yeah, and he's just going to hand it over when we ask."

"Yes..." Blaise said, a sinister smile twisting his features. "Yes... he will." Then he chuckled and got up.

He walked over to the Slytherin bookshelf in the room, ran a hand over the tomes, and selected one. He opened the book and flicked a few pages until he found the one he wanted. Then he walked back over to where the others were and took a seat next to Hermione, his eyes on the page the whole time.

She only had to wait a moment for him to hand the book over to her.

"Dormis Veritas Potion" Was printed on the top of the page, followed by a description: "A potion given to induce a suggestive sleep. This potion is an excellent means of interrogating someone without the drinker's knowledge."

"There is a subtle irony to poisoning a potion's master." Blaise whispered, a smile on his face.

Hermione turned to him wide eyed.

"Are. you. Mad?" She said as she looked at Blaise. He turned his smirk to her.

The firelight flickered in front of them, casting half his face in complete shadow, and making his eyes glow gold.

"I bet you get that question a lot." He replied lightly.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione replied in a small voice, for some reason feeling extremely intimidated by the pureblooded boy sitting next to her.

"Because there is a high correlation between madness and brilliance, Ms. Granger." He said with a smirk.

"How can a mudblood be brilliant?" She said defiantly. Feeling intimidated always made her defensive.

"My Dear Ms. Granger, you should never insult yourself." Blaise said smoothly. "Others will insult you enough.. if you can't maintain your own pride, be sure no one will do it for you."

Hermione put her nose in the air, trying to appear unconcerned. But Blaise had pointed out something Hermione had spent her whole career at Hogwarts trying to hide, the fact that she was extremely insecure, almost to the point of low self-esteem. Her pride had sunk so low that she sometimes thought of herself as a "mudblood." The reason: no matter how much she read, there were still things she didn't know or understand in the wizarding world. Sometimes her pureblood friends would mention something vital in passing, normal for a wizard, but esoteric to Hermione's ears.

"Blaise, even if we give him this potion... he's going to go to sleep... how are we going to get to where he sleeps to ask him?" Pansy said, breaking up the two's stare-down.

"We have to get into his quarters when he takes down the wards, then slip him something in his evening drink, he should fall asleep almost immediately... then we can ask him and slip out." Blaise said.

"Hiding where?" Pansy asked. "We can't just slip in without him noticing, we'd have to be invisible."

"Potter's invisibility cloak." Draco said. Blaise shrugged.

"Will he let us borrow it though?" Pansy asked. "This plan has so many flaws.. we don't know where Snape sleeps to wait for him.."

"I do." Draco said. "I've been to his new personal quarters."

"We don't know what kind of wards are on the door." Pansy continued.

"I do." Draco said again. "He uses the same kind as my father, I know because father told me when he came back to the manor from seeing Snape."

"We don't know how to break the wards."

"Zabini could do it." Draco replied.

"What makes you think so?" Hermione asked, fearing the answer.

"His whole family's up to their eyes in the dark arts.. mark him well Granger, you're sitting with the next dark lord." Draco spat.

Blaise had yet to look cross through any of Draco's insults or shows of aggression, but a streak of anger flickered and died on his face after that comment. The room seemed to grow colder.

"Can't you do _anything_ yourself Malfoy?" Blaise asked dangerously.

"Draco can go with Potter to get the basilisk tooth and the potions ingredients." Pansy said in an exasperated voice.

"What? Why do _I _ have to work with _Potter_." He spat Harry's name.

"Yes, Pansy... Why don't you be a good little minion and fetch it for him... It's obvious thatalthough he thinks _this is his responsibility_, his only task should be to delegate." Blaise spat back, his voice full of venom.

"You two are so similar." Hermione commented with a smile.

"I am NOT like HIM!" Draco yelled, getting to his feet.

"I agree with Granger... honestly!" Pansy said, pulling Draco down next to her. "Draco, no more arguments or we'll never get this done!"

Blaise got up and walked over to the other side of his own bed; The same bed Pansy and Draco were sitting on. He knelt and pulled out a large leather case.

"Granger, ingredients.." He said shortly, clearly wanting her to read them off.

"You really want to go through with this?" Hermione asked, amazed. One identical sharp look from Draco and Blaise was all the answer she received.

"A wine base, so we'll need a glass, gold, or pewter cauldron... and wine too."

"Malfoy?" Blaise asked.

"Got it." Draco said and got up to retrieve something from under his bed. He ignored the simultaneous tut from Hermione and Pansy.

Hermione read the rest of the ingredients and Blaise extracted them from the case. Aside from the wine, the ingredients were fairly ordinary, though the brew itself was complex.

Pansy left to get her spare pewter cauldron, the one Hermione had used to brew her a pain and cramp relief draught. By the time she was back, Hermione and Blaise were already preparing the ingredients atop a table Draco had conjured.

Pansy set the cauldron up and heated the wine, then stood back next to Draco to watch Blaise and Hermione work.

It struck her as odd that Granger and Zabini could work so seamlessly, each preparing and adding an ingredient without exchanging a word.

Pansy wasn't the only one who had noticed it. Hermione was also observing her opposite's potion work. As she had pointed out in her letter, Blaise Zabini's scores were always closely rivaling her own. She had known this, and yet she never made an effort to speak to him before all of this took place. She watched him stir, wondering over his personality.

He seemed so quiet in class, never asking questions or giving answers, or even speaking to class mates. Draco had said that his entire family was into the dark arts, and that wasn't the first time she'd heard such a rumor about the Zabini's. The family seemed unpopular even among pureblooded wizards. Perhaps that was why Blaise was such a loner, but it seemed a larger issue than that.

For the most part Blaise was ignored, taken for granted as part of the background. Though sometimes Hermione got the impression people were scared of him. Perhaps he, just like Harry, was suffering under the unwanted relationship to the dark lord. Maybe people fancied him an heir of slytherin, of sorts, and skirted him just the same.

Now that Hermione considered it, Blaise even looked like Harry. His face was pinched with thinness, his body was wiry. He was taller than Harry, the same height as Malfoy, but just as thin. His black hair was slightly messy, but that might have been from the scuffles with Malfoy.

His eyes were drawing most of her attention at the moment. They were gold right now, reflecting the firelight. They were almond shaped, and framed with very thick, long, black lashes. His eyes, she realized, and his dark coloring, were what made him look slightly foreign, perhaps even Arab. But with a name like Zabini, he had to be European, perhaps Italian, Spanish, or Sicilian.

Hermione didn't understand how she could have missed him. She blinked a few times in contemplation.

"You know, I hardly ever see you around school. Do you disillusion yourself or something?" She asked witlessly. He laughed.

"Something like that... I like to keep a low profile." He replied quietly.

"Like a snake in the grass." Malfoy spat from behind her. She jumped slightly, accidentally cutting her finger with the knife in her hand.

"Ouch." She muttered, and was about to put her finger in her mouth, but Blaise stopped her.

"You were just chopping Gabrathea.. I'm not sure you want to put that in your mouth..." he smiled an evil smile. "Although, if you're interested in that kind of thing, I won't stop you."

Hermione's face turned red. Gabrathea was an aphrodisiac, used in small amounts it would relax someone and make them trusting and amiable, in larger, more concentrated doses it multiplied the intensity of pleasurable stimulus, and was used to obvious effect.

"I.. no..." She sputtered, still blushing. Blaise pulled her to the window, which opened when he looked at it. Hermione's eyes widened. He held her hand out into the rainy windswept storm and let the rain clean the cut.

"Was that wandless magic?" Hermione asked, shivering slightly from the cold and the rain. Blaise nodded.

"A specialty of my family." He said. When they came back over to the table, Malfoy had cleared away the contaminated Gabrathea and cutting board. Pansy was cutting up some more with a fresh knife.

"Sorry." Hermione muttered, and attempted to restart her work. But her finger was still bleeding, and she didn't want to contaminate anything else.

"Wouldn't leave your blood out where Zabini can get it." Malfoy said contemptuously, glaring at the other boy. "Who knows what he'll do with it."

"I was thinking of creating a copy of Granger, whose sole purpose would be to follow you around telling you facts about muggle culture." Blaise said lightly, not taking his eyes off the potion. Pansy snorted.

"Besides, if you are so worried about Granger, why don't you wrap her finger up. Or would you rather delegate that task as well?" Blaise sneered.

"I've got it." Hermione said, pressing on her cut with her handkerchief.

"Who says I'm worried about Granger." Malfoy spat. Pansy made an irritated noise.

"Can't you two give it a rest? He's only saying that cause it makes you mad... the same as when you make fun of Granger dating Potter and Weasely. You'd do well to take a leaf out of her book and act like it doesn't bother you, then maybe he'd leave you alone." Pansy spat at him.

"Bet you're loving this Granger." Malfoy jeered, turning his anger at being admonished on her.

"No.. not at all, actually. I do wish you both would stop fighting. I mean..." Hermione blushed again. "Niether one of you could be that bad..." She said quietly.

Pansy snorted again.

"He'd skin you as soon as look at you." Malfoy said. "But go ahead and trust him, it is the Gryffindor way."

There was THUNK, and Hermione spun around. The large butcher knife Blaise had been cutting with was sticking out of the table. A look a purest hatred was on his face as he examined the knife, as though it had offended him.

"Hand slipped." He muttered, and pulled the knife out. He continued chopping as though there had been no slight on his personality at all.

Hermione's nose scrunched in indignation. Unpopular seemed an understatement, the Slytherins seemed to hate him. And everyone else just ignored him! What could be so wrong with the boy? He didn't have a single friend as far as she could tell, and she decided to rectify the situation.

She held out her good hand to him. He looked at it in mild surprise.

"I've never formally met you, nor have I ever known you, but I'd like to." She said, still holding her hand out. He looked at her as though she were mad, and then his expression cleared and he smiled. Far from being reassured, that smile unsettled her even more.

"Get lost." Blaise hissed. "I don't need your friendship... I don't need anyone. I'm only working with you lot so I can go back to my solitude." He stepped forward, looking angry now. "I don't want to be around anyone, I just want everyone to leave me alone." He hissed, his face darkening.

The entire room, it seemed, was darkening... the fire flickering and dying out.

"Leave." He spat, and turned around, breathing heavily.

Once he'd turned around, the fire sprang back to life. He resumed cutting as if nothing had happened.

That was two times he'd used wandless magic. Was that the reason he didn't want to be close to anyone? Hermione didn't know what to think, but she knew how she felt. She was scared, and intensely curious at the same time.

She turned and left the room without another word, pondering the mystery that was Blaise Zabini.

A/N:

Please review! Especially on the items mentioned above.


	7. Into the Snake's den

**Chapter seven: Into the snake's den **

"Ow, you stood on my foot." Ginny whispered.

"Shut it Weasely." Malfoy hissed.

Harry Potter wondered how he got himself into situations like these. He was stooping in the darkness, with Pansy Parkinson flush against the front of him, holding the invisibility cloak up with one hand and his wand with the other. He, Ron and Hermione barely fit under the cloak anymore, he didn't know what he was thinking when he agreed that he, Malfoy, Parkinson, and Ginny could all go.

"Potter." Hissed Parkinson furiously as she stopped dead. "What is that!"

"I've got a knife in my pocket you silly bint." He snapped, horrified that she'd think that of him.

"Not THAT idiot! THAT!" and she pointed.

Ms. Norris was slinking around the corner ahead of them.

"Bugger." Muttered Ginny from underneath Malfoy's chin.

Ginny was taller than Pansy, and Malfoy was taller than Harry. When they practiced fitting under the cloak together, they found it was best if a girl stood right in front of a boy. It was uncomfortable for Harry to walk with Ginny's hair in his face, and likewise Malfoy had a tendency to bowl Pansy over if she stopped and he didn't. Gruggingly, they'd agreed to walk like this, in the interests of not getting caught.

"Potter, tell me the cat can't see us." Pansy hissed.

"I think she can... everyone move to the edge of the corridor." They shifted over slowly and quietly as Ms. Norris grew ever closer.

She turned her lamp-like eyes on them, and started yowling for her Master. Their hair stood on end as they waited silently. Filch wheezed into view seconds later, looking just as bad tempered as always.

"What is it my sweet, caught someone have you?" He said, squinting around, trying to see through the darkness of the corridor. Harry could see his nostrils dilating as he searched. Filch held up a lamp and moved around the corridor, coming close to touching Pansy at one point.

Out of nerves Pansy jumped back and her rear banged into Harry's pelvis, then she nearly fell forward from the impact. Harry caught her by the hips and simultaneously hunched over in pain, making their position even more awkward than before. Amazingly enough, they manager the whole incident silently, and Filch eventually moved on.

Mrs. Norris continued to stare for awhile before reluctantly following her Master.

"That was close." Breathed Ginny as she let out the air she was holding.

"Hands off potter!" Pansy snapped, pushing his hands off her hips.

"Well, if you hadn't...." Harry began.

"He wasn't going to get me..." Pansy snapped back before he could finish.

"Shut up both of you, let's just get going!" Malfoy hissed.

They all reluctantly moved forward to the end of second floor corridor, where they stopped outside of a girls' toilet bearing an "out of order" sign. They stepped in.

Pansy was the first to fling off the cloak and step away with an over dramatic gesture of disgust.

"You didn't have to come at all." Harry reminded her through clenched teeth.

Malfoy had to step back to put space between himself and Ginny, who seemed petrified in place. Harry looked over at them, and took notice of Ginny's stature.

She was rigid, her fists clenched and her eyes wide as she stared at one of the faucets on the wall as though it were a snake.

"Ginny..." He began and a warm tone, but was cut off by a mournful shriek.

"Harry!" Harry groaned in response.

"Hello Myrtle." Harry replied automatically, turning to see the specter as she floated through the door of her toilet.

"It's been ages." Myrtle moaned miserably. "Why haven't you come to see me, you promised back in the prefects bathroom, but I never saw you..."

"Sorry Myrtle, I've been busy."

"We don't have time for your fan club Potter!" Malfoy spat.

"Prefect's bathroom?" Pansy asked. "When were you in there?"

"Fourth year, for the TriWizard... Cedric let me..." He trailed off. Pansy saw the haunted look on his face, and remembered what Granger had said about him blaming himself. Pansy decided to take his mind off Diggory.

"And she was in there?" Pansy asked suspiciously. "With you?"

Harry thought he'd take a moment to torture Malfoy.

"She's in there all the time, watching the prefects bathe." He said with a smile, his eyes flicking to Malfoy. He was not disappointed. Malfoy's face contorted with shock and disgust, before embarrassment colored his cheeks.

"You watch the prefects bathe!" Pansy hollered incredulously.

"sometimes." Myrtle said with disinterest, which did nothing for Malfoy's complexion.

"Are we going to do this or not?" Ginny asked in a hollow, low voice. Harry nodded and approached her.

"Are you sure you're alright. Maybe you should just stay up here..." Harry suggested, touching her arm reassuringly. She shook her head.

"I've been meaning to ask you to take me down again for ages.... I.. I need... to see it again... I've got to know... that it's dead... that there isn't anything left there... that.... That he's not there..." She said, her voice still hollow, but her eyes wide with awe.

Harry nodded, understanding. He knew what was behind those deadened eyes. It was the same for him when he thought of Sirius.

"I don't reckon I could do with going back to the death room... you're braver than me, you know?" Ginny's eyes filled with tears.

"I miss him too Harry..." She whispered, and took his hand.

"So do I." Draco said quietly, and only Pansy heard. She didn't know who Potter and Weasely were talking about, but Draco's meaning was very plain. The death room was where his father had been caught, and Draco had never seen him again.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pansy said in a low voice, trying to keep everyone on task. She insisted on going to keep the peace, but it seemed she would also serve to keep every one on track as well.

"Right." Potter said, and stepped up to the second faucet from the end. What he said next wasn't English, it wasn't even a human language, but everyone understood its meaning.

The faucet expanded and warped into a large hole, big enough for someone to slide into.

"That's it!" Malfoy exclaimed. "That's the entrance to the chamber of secrets! The legacy of the great Salazar Slytherin!" He was rather put out.

"If you want snakes and other types of tacky displays, wait till we get down there." Harry said. He removed his wand and conjured a very long rope. He tied off one end to the pipe beneath the last sink and threw the rest of the rope into the gaping tube.

When he started to take off his robe, he noticed Ginny was shaking.

"Ginny..." He said, throwing his robe over the last sink and walking over to her. "You don't have to do this... really, it's dead, you saw it before." Harry reassured her.

"I... I know you killed it but... I need to make sure he's not there." Harry opened his mouth to protest but Ginny stopped him. "They aren't your nightmares Harry... you ..." Then her eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry Harry... your nightmares are probably worse than anything I can imagine...." She looked ashamed of herself, then she put on a bright smile. "I promise I won't be too much of a basket case down there." She said, then stepped up to the tube. Harry stopped her.

"Let me go first." He said, and pulled her back.

He took one last look at the bathroom, with the odd group assembled in it: Malfoy looking at Ginny like he'd never seen her before- Pansy, looking impatient- Ginny, smiling in a way that looked rather sad- and Mrytle, eyeing Malfoy from the rafter's with great interest- Then climbed into the hole and slid down.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione wondered how she got herself into situations like these. She was walking down the corridor to the transfiguration hall, and Professor Snape's new rooms, with a potion in her pocket that she planned to slip the potion's master.

Her mind wandered back to the great hall- had it only been a week ago? – when the ceiling gave and she opened her eyes to see Malfoy shielding her with his own body. Then last night when he'd told her how she could repay him, she began her work with Blaise Zabini, who seemed indifferent, if not scornful of her presence.

And now she was walking down the hall hand in hand with him. The irony of the situation did not elude her.

She looked over at the dark boy. His face was impassive, and he didn't look at her at all. She sighed and wondered whether life would ever be normal again. Then, remember all her past end-of-year adventures with Harry and Ron, she realized that this was quite normal after all, the only thing that changed was the company.

Still, it was enough of a change: She trusted Harry and Ron, after all. She didn't know how Blaise would react if something went wrong. Perhaps he'd expose her and leave her to suffer the punishment on her own, he seemed the type to do that. To be so incredibly unpopular, there had to be something wrong with him.

Blaise stopped suddenly, and gave her arm an unnecessary yank. Hermione heard it too, footsteps coming down the hall from behind them. She flattened herself against the wall next to Blaise, and reflected on how stupid she must look, trying to be inconspicuous while at the same time remaining fully visible. Had she not seen Blaise use this very trick on her, she wouldn't have believed him when he said he could make them unnoticeable.

Snape was walking down the hall with his usual sweep, looking bad tempered as normal. His robes flared dramatically with every smooth stride, leaving no one in doubt why he was compared to a bat.

Hermione's dread grew as he approached, and her heart positively stopped when he turned his head slightly and looked right at them. Then he looked away, never breaking his stride, and walked right past them.

She held the breath she'd been keeping until he had continued a little ways down the corridor, sure he'd turn around and realize his mistake, but he didn't.

"See?" Blaise muttered, and yanked on her arm to follow him. Only then did Hermione let out her breath, elated and incredulous that it had worked.

Apparently Blaise used a variation of an inconspicuous charm when ever he walked around the corridors and in classes, so no one would bother him. The charm he used was tuned to be wandless and stronger than the original. He could extend the charm to whatever he touched, within reason, which was why Hermione was holding his hand like a life raft.

They had to jog to catch up to Snape, who had stopped by a portrait of an extremely elegant woman in a 1920's flapper dress who was smoking a cigarette with relish. She did not ask for a password, but acknowledged Snape with a glance before swinging open to reveal a door.

Snape pulled his wand out and began chanting.

Blaise was inches from him, listening extremely intently, and occasionally reciting the next phrase of the ward-breaker under his breath before Snape said it.

The door creaked open and Snape pocketed his wand. He walked in, and spared them another small glance before he closed the door. The portrait was about to swing shut over it, but Blaise stopped it from closing with his foot.

"Whose there?" The portrait asked, unable to see Blaise and Hermione, because they were on the other side of it. They ignored her question and waited for a few moments.

"Remember, don't say anything, let me ask the questions... you just write down what he says." Blaise told her.

"Questions? How many are you asking?" She whispered. He didn't answer.

Blaise extracted his own wand, and turned his back on her. The size of it struck Hermione. It looked to be nearly sixteen inches, and much thicker than any wand she'd ever seen. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Blaise muttered the ward breaking spells just as Snape had done, keeping his wand pointed without any other movement. When he finished the lock clicked and door slowly began to creek open of its own accord.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was the same wild ride to the bottom that Harry remembered, except for the odd moments when the rope he'd thrown down the tube burned against his side. He barely had a moment to stand when his nostrils met the foulest stench he'd ever happened upon.

He coughed, attempting to rid his lungs of the reek, but it was everywhere. He drew his wand and cast a bubble head charm, then called up to the others to do the same before coming down.

Ginny appeared moments later, her head oddly distorted from the bubble around it. She got to her feet and attempted to wipe off some of the slime her clothes had gathered from the ride down. Harry realized he must look similarly woebegone.

After Pansy and Malfoy came down, Harry made his way to another tunnel, the scattered bones of rats crunching underfoot as he walked.

"Disgusting!" Pansy murmured at increments as they walked, her voice muffled by the bubble around her head. Occasionally she'd scream as she caught sight of a live rat or some other sewer dweller.

"Would you shut up!" Harry snapped at her the third time she did it. "The cave ahead already collapsed once, and it's probably still unstable... add that to the fact that Slytherin made this chamber, and Voldemort's trying to bring the castle down on our heads!" The other three jumped or hissed when Harry said the name, but he paid them no mind and continued on.

They stopped when they met the rock fall Lockheart had made when Ron's wand backfired. It seemed like a lifetime ago to Harry. He stood there starring and the hole Ron had cleared in the rock, almost wistfully.

"Well?" Pansy snapped.

Without a word, Harry climbed the rocks to the top most area where a small section was clear, and stepped through.

Harry's solitary wand light was all that relieved the pitch darkness, though he already knew what he would find there. Sure enough, when his feet touched level earth again, the outline of the ghastly snake skin was apparent.

Ginny appeared behind Harry, adding her wand light to his own, and further illuminating the twisted skin. They heard Parkinson and Malfoy gasp behind them.

"What... What is it?" Pansy moaned, her voice shaking with terror.

"It's a skin." Draco supplied in shocked tones.

Harry nodded and continued to the vault like door at the end of this chamber, raising his wand to illuminate the many serpent statues that guarded the door. Their jewel eyes glittered at him, and he shivered slightly.

"Open." He commanded, but only a hissing came out of his mouth.

Obediently the stone snakes withdrew from the door and the locks clicked open with a hiss of their own.

Smoke and dust filtered through the door as it swung open to admit them. Even through the bubble head charm, Harry could sense the stench intensify.

He turned to the others and took a deep breath.

"Listen, there is a dead basilisk in there.... I don't know what it's going to look like, but it's been rotting for four years now, so.... Just be prepared."

They nodded. Ginny and Pansy looked ashen. Draco looked strangely eager.

Harry turned and led the way into the chamber proper. It was as he remembered it from his first foray into its depths, but now he was able to take in more details.

The chamber had its own lighting, which seemed to come from everywhere, so the four of them were able to extinguish their wand lights, and take in the architecture.

Wide mouthed snakes lined the walkway like some horrible fence, preventing someone from stepping into the water which lined the path. The water reflected the serpent figures exactly like a mirror. At the end of the path was a type of dais, where the ceiling high statue of Salazar Slytherin presided.

"Is that Slytherin?" Draco said, his voice sounding so different with the flavor of awe in it.

"That's the bastard alright." Harry spat, walking forward to where the degraded body of the basilisk lay, exactly as it had died. Half of it was in the water, the other half on the dais at Slytherin's feet. Ginny took Harry's arm and walked with him, her freckles standing out against her sheet-white skin.

"Bloody hell." Pansy murmured a little bit behind them. "It's huge! How did it get around to attack people?" She asked.

"Pipes." Harry answered, looking down at the creature.

The skin was still intact, the same poisonous green that Harry remembered, but it was far too big for the basilisk now that the flesh had rotted beneath it. It's eye sockets were blank, hollow and black, giving a view into the empty skull. It's mouth was still wide open, a pool of dried blood stained the floor underneath where it's head lay, where it had dripped from the wound Harry caused.

Harry's vision was slightly obscured when Ginny hugged him, their bubbles banging together, and joining momentarily.

"You... You're so ...brave Harry... coming after me... and... fighting that thing... killing it.... And Riddle...." Her voice was unsteady, but she held the tears back. "I never... I never...." She looked into his eyes. "Thank you for saving me." She said.

Harry smiled at her. Their moment was cut short by the sound of Pansy gagging somewhere behind them. Ginny lowered her arms and turned towards the statue, blushing.

"Still, even I can't help but be impressed Potter.... Maybe your not all publicity after all." Pansy said coming up and winking at him. Harry smiled embarrassedly.

"You too Pansy?" Draco asked incredulously.

"What's that...." Pansy said, pointing to an enormous black stain that Ginny was now staring at with haunted eyes.

Harry looked over at the dried ink, that had spilled from the diary when he pierced it with the basilisk tooth. It had stained the floor, smeared in some places from where Harry had moved, like a fingerprint of what was.

"Tom Riddle." Ginny replied, her voice empty of emotion, and her eyes empty of everything.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione's grip on Blaise's hand was enough to break his fingers. She was understandably nervous as she inched towards the table which bore Snape's evening cup of tea. He was sitting in the chair next to that table, staring into the fire, and apparently deep in thought.

The vial in her free hand was shaking as she brought it to hover over his cup, pausing at the ethical dilemma.

Hermione needed the incantation for magical empathy in order to fulfill her life-debt, but she also had a responsibility to the order and to the school. She was slipping a teacher a truth potion, which was grounds for expulsion any day. But it wasn't just any teacher, it was Severus Snape, death-eater turned spy- and Blaise Zabini, a boy with a notoriously dark background, was going to be questioning him.

"What are you waiting for?" Blaise hissed, his lips right against her ear. She shuddered involuntarily, and turned to look at him.

He read the indecision in her eyes, and she was so busy staring at him, trying to make him understand without speaking, that she didn't notice his free hand until she felt it on her own. She looked down in time to see him tipping her own hand, and pouring the potentially damning potion into his innocuous tea.

He pulled her back, away from the table, and sent her a warning glare that clearly meant he wanted her to keep quiet. Hermione's insides squirmed with guilt, her eyes filling with tears as she watched the Dormis Veritas potion mixing with the infusion of jasmine. She blinked hard and fast, but nothing could hold back the guilt she was feeling.

To keep her mind busy, she scanned the room. It was cozy and warm- the walls lined with dozens of book shelves filled with an equal share of potions and defense against the dark arts, and some books not on the defense at all. She was surprised to see the burgundy, grey and royal blue theme, but then she surmised that these chambers were probably furnished before Snape moved in. Perhaps they were a guest chamber of sorts.

The area rugs were resplendent with color, and of oriental quality. The furniture was mostly cherry, except for the upholstered arm chairs which bore legs of a lighter teak wood. Snape was sitting on one such chair, staring blankly into the fire.

Hermione watched, as if in slow motion, her Potion's professor pick up the tea her hand had sullied, and sip it slowly. His face assumed an odd look after his first swallow. He sipped it again, and his face became pensive as he considered his tea. He set the cup down and made to stand up, possibly to examine the can of jasmine, but a wave weariness darkened his face for a moment, before he sat back and closed his eyes.

She could hear his breath even out, his mouth slightly ajar as he slept. The guilt she'd managed to distract herself from hit her ten fold again. Tears popped into her eyes as she looked down onto him, horrified.

"It's done Granger.... No use getting emotional over it now." Blaise muttered, pulling her close to the slumbering man.

He let go of her hand and pulled a muggle pen and paper from her pocket. She continued to stare at her potion's professor, seemingly oblivious to Blaise's hands in the pockets of her robe.

"Here." He handed her the pen and paper. "Write what he says." She took the proffered tools numbly, and didn't respond. "Granger!" He snapped in a hiss. She jumped slightly and nodded.

"Right." Blaise began, turning to Snape, and attempting to keep the triumphant smile from his face. How long had he wanted Snape in this position under his thumb, he'd finally be able to ask. "Snape, can you hear me?" Blaise called in a clear voice.

"Yes." Snape replied, his lips were the only thing that moved.

"I am going to ask you some questions, and you must tell me the truth." Blaise said.

"Yes." Snape repeated.

"Do you know the incantation for Magical empathy?" Blaise asked.

"Yes."

"Recite it, slowly and clearly."

Snape recited an incantation in latin, which Hermione dutifully copied down. Snape went on to describe the wand movements, and variations needed for spelling different things, such as potions, animals and objects- at Blaise's prompting of course. Hermione's pen never left the paper as she copied everything, nearly verbatim.

"Right, let's get out of here.." She whispered, and pulled his arm a bit to emphasize the point.

"Not yet." Blaise said, not moving an inch. His eyes narrowed in distaste.

Hermione's heart stopped.

"What do you mean? We've got what we need let's just..." But she was silenced by the look of determination and... hatred? In Blaise's eyes.

"Snape. Are you having sex with Ursula Sinistra?" Blaise asked in a clear voice.

Hermione was galvanized with shock.

"Yes."

She turned her wide eyed shock onto her professor. Snape and Sinistra?

"Do you love Ursula?" Blaise asked, contempt on every line of his features.

"Yes." This answer seemed to anger Blaise even more. The fire died and the room went almost completely dark. The temperature in the room turned to ice, and Hermione shivered.

"Then why don't you marry her properly?" Blaise spat through clenched teeth.

"Too dangerous." Snape replied tonelessly.

Hermione's stomach dropped away. She knew why it was too dangerous for Snape to be close with anyone, but Blaise couldn't know. She prayed he would stop the questioning, but all her hopes fled as the damning question poured from his lips.

"Why?"

The adrenaline pumping through Hermione's veins clouded her hearing, but even she could register the difficulty with which Snape tried to hold back the next sentence.

"Because I'm a s—"

"NO!" Hermione yelled, causing Blaise and her professor to jump in alarm.

Blaise's eyes widened in horror as Snape's eyes snapped open. Blaise grabbed Hermione roughly pulling her against him like a rag doll, clamping a hand over her mouth with enough force to bruise her.

Blaise backed against a bookshelf and tried to calm himself down, and recall the necessary emotional state to cast the attention-repelling charm.

Snape was now standing bolt-upright, keenly aware of every sound in the room.

The fire was still out from Blaise's anger, and Snape reignited it with a flick of his wand. He looked around the room beadily, his eyes passing over the two of them, standing in plain view, several times.

Belatedly, he noticed his tea cup, still sitting on the table half-drunk and half-cold. He picked it up and Blaise cursed softly.

Slowly, very slowly, Blaise maneuvered them to the door, half carrying Hermione who was flush against him, chest-to-chest. The wards were still down, but it was too much to hope that Snape wouldn't notice the door open and close. Blaise knew as soon as they got out the door, they'd have to run for it.

Snape carried the cup to a small potions table towards the end of the chamber. A tea pot stood on the table, next to a tin of jasmine tea. He was busy casting several revealing charms on all the items used in the tea process, his back to them. Blaise recognized his chance.

The second the door opened, Snape spun around, his wand ready.

"Revulus!" He called, aiming vaguely in their direction. Hermione felt the ripple-wind from the spell on the back of her neck, as it just barely missed them. Blaise nearly tripped over her as he hurled them both out of the door.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Tom Riddle?" Pansy gasped, staring down at the ink on the floor.

"The Dark Lord." Draco said, coming to stand even shouldered with Ginny. "The diary." He added, looking down at her head. Harry wondered if it was remorse he saw on Malfoy's face. Ginny looked up at him, her eyes glistening but no tears fell.

"Did you know about it?" She asked him, but there was no accusation in her voice.

"Not until afterwards." He admitted truthfully. "Though, I don't know if I would've done anything even if I had known at the time... I suppose... I thought it was a brilliant joke... sending a monster after mudbloods like Granger... like it was some kind of proof of everything we learned." He glared at the pool of dried ink.

"What made it real for you?" Ginny asked, not looking at him.

Draco snorted, and instinctively looked at Pansy. She was looking at him, her expression was full of emotion as she silently urged him to tell her... tell the Weasely girl who'd suffered so much at the hands of his father.

"Granger." Malfoy muttered at last. "Granger and you... and even Longbottom... you lot made it real for me..." Ginny didn't look at him, and he was grateful. He took a deep breath. "I watched you lot come in... covered in blood... you were awake, but barely... Weasely.. er.. Ron, covered in lashes like he'd been tortured, and perfectly insane... Longbottom's nose broken and spouting blood... and.. and Granger, unconscious, and for all the world looking completely dead. Her eyes... they were slightly open when they brought her in, and I was so sure... and then I remembered what I said in second year, about wanting her dead, but when I saw her like that and thought she was..." He trailed off, his brows furrowing.

Ginny turned her body towards him, still not looking at him, and hugged him like she'd done to Harry.

"Thank you Draco, for saving Hermione." Draco snorted.

"Save it. I didn't do it on purpose. I just saw she was about to die... it was automatic, I dunno..." He was uncomfortable with this type of gratitude, and the heat that filled every inch of him from it.

"Right." Ginny said and backed off thankfully, but she had a small smile on her face, and if Malfoy would've looked at Harry, he would've seen a similar smile on Potter's face as well.

"Well, we've got everything we need from here." Harry said, holding up a large fang he'd cut from the gaping mouth of the dead basilisk.

Everyone looked over at Harry, but he was looking up into the face of Slytherin thoughtfully.

"Is this what you really wanted? This war? This hatred? Did you mean for it to come this far, for two followers of your blood to battle each other?" He said it in parcel tongue, not wanting the others to know about the prophecy.

They all jumped when the structure began to shake violently. The floor vibrated so hard Pansy stumbled and fell. Small pieces of rock and dust fell from the ceiling miles above.

"Voldemort!" Harry gasped, drawing his wand to erect a shield, but seconds later, the shaking stopped and everything was still.

"No." Harry's heart turned to ice. Who ever had spoken, had used parcel tongue. He wheeled around, looking everywhere for the source. Then a strange suspicion struck him and he looked back up at the statue.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, hugging herself in shock. She saw his eyes go wide and turned to look where he was looking. Her mouth dropped open.

The statue of Slytherin's mouth was now fully ajar. Lolling out of it, like some horrible travesty of a tongue, was a small baby basilisk.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cliff hanger! Yes, I want some reviews before I post the resolution to this crisis! Next chapter shows the conflict between Hermione, Blaise and Snape! Review and I'll get it up faster!

Also, I want feed back on character development and dialogue... so shoot me some reviews on that. Thanks for reading.


	8. Escape

Update on this story: I've got till chapter fourteen written so far, but I'm posting it in increments cause I know it won't get read otherwise. I also do that because it gives me a while to digest the chapters as a whole, and go back and make changes.

Looking for reviews on:

Personality and character development. (You see more of Blaise this chapter)

Conjecture on upcoming plot (what do you think is going to happen)

Likes and dislikes (too much dialogue? Not enough description?)

* * *

**Chapter eight: escape**

Pansy screamed. Ginny just managed to hold her scream back, her mind reeling, wondering how she could be standing here staring at it and not be dead.

"My God!" Malfoy gasped. "That isn't..."

The snake was hissing softly, the sound causing all four of them to shiver.

"What is it saying?" Pansy whispered to Harry, moving to stand behind him.

Harry didn't answer Pansy, but instead began hissing in reply. The snake answered him, and he nodded.

"It's alright, I'm going to help her down, she's stuck up there." Harry said.

"Are. You. Mad!" Malfoy wheeled around on him, his eyes wide with horror.

"If she wanted us dead, we'd be dead by now. As it is, she's been alone since her mum died, and unable to leave the hollow in that statue's head. She's not long enough to reach the ground."

Harry raised his wand, but Malfoy caught his hand and forcibly lowered it.

"And what is it going to do when it gets down here... Potter, you've got to think about these things!"

"It's going to obey me." Harry replied dangerously, looking Malfoy dead in the eye. Ginny and Pansy knew this was one of those guy-things. Both boys were used to being followed, and neither one wanted to yield to the other one.

"Look, she could've killed us all with one look, but she kept back her power... she's alone, frightened, she's only a baby."

"Hah! You and Hagrid!" Malfoy spat.

"She couldn't eat us if she tried, she's too small." Harry said, but he was quickly growing impatient. He yanked his wand arm from Malfoy's grasp and raised it again.

Harry called something in parcel tongue before casting a levitation spell. He eased the snake down, more of its length revealing itself from out of Slytherin's mouth as she came closer and closer to the floor.

She settled on the floor in a graceful coil and blinked at the humans in the room with large bulbous yellow eyes.

"I'm looking into the eyes of a basilisk." Ginny murmured in awe. "I've been having dreams about this for ages..." She whispered to herself. "And it's true, it's real."

Harry was speaking in parcel tongue again, and the snake replied at length. After she was finished she approached him slowly, and submissively, circling him once, before resting her head at his feet.

The snake was entirely black, except for the tip of it's tail which had something like a fin on it, that was green. Its tongue was white.

Pansy's mouth was open in horror.

"Come here." Harry held out his hand and the snake raised her nose to touch it, he petted her head and few times, and the snake closed her eyes placidly.

"Harry...." Ginny moaned, wondering at his endless supply of brass.

"We're taking her with us." Harry said at last, and he tossed Malfoy the tooth he'd been holding, and turned around to walk out of the chamber, the snake at his heels.

"What!" Pansy ejaculated. "No, no she's got to stay in here... locked up... You can't take that thing into the school!"

"She can't feed herself.. she needs to be taken care of... Hagrid will love her, she's as close to a dragon as you can get."

"Harry..." Ginny began, trying to be patient with him.

"I'm not letting it happen again." He said quietly. All of them went still. "It ends here... now... she's the last of her kind... the last monster of Slytherin, or whatever... that's it, it ends now."

"But it would end anyway! Just leave her in here and let nature..." Pansy trailed off when Harry spun around, fury on his face.

"How do you _know _ it ends here Parkinson? Does Voldemort have a son? Or a daughter? What if he's here at school with us right now? Did you consider that?"

"He doesn't..." Pansy moaned desperately, but there was an edge in her voice that made it very clear she wasn't sure about that.

"But it'll die if you leave it in here...." Malfoy attempted, but stopped when Harry turned his furious glare on him.

"If you want someone to leave you to die in a chamber with nothing but your mother's rotting corpse for company, you do that Malfoy." Harry spat, and without another word, he spun on his heel and walked out.

The basilisk watched them for a moment before following Harry.

Ginny sighed and said: "It's no good, when he's like this, there is no persuading him otherwise.... Besides... he just wants to make sure the chamber of secrets is never a threat again, you've got to respect that?" She walked off following Harry.

Pansy and Draco were right behind her.

Harry was waiting at the main entrance to the chamber proper, the basilisk behind him, looking over his shoulder at them. After Malfoy had stepped through, Harry stood at the mouth of the chamber for a moment, looking at the statue of Slytherin.

The basilisk said something, and Harry patted her head reassuringly.

"It'll be alright." He said.

Then, with a muttered command, the vault-like door swung closed and locked with a hissss.

* * *

Hermione felt like her arm would soon detach itself from its socket. Her arm was taught, her hand in Blaise's as the two of them hurtled down the hall towards Gryffindor tower. She could hear Snape on their heels, hurling spells at their back, and gaining on them, but he was still not able to see them properly and luckily kept missing.

Her lungs were on fire and her legs were weak as she struggled to keep up with the tall boy in front of her.

Without warning, Blaise stopped, twisted around, caught her in his arms and pulled her to the side of the corridor, his hand over her mouth. Snape hurtled past them, still calling out curses to the empty corridor ahead. They waited precisely five seconds before pelting down a side corridor that would put them directly in front of the Gryffindor portrait.

Far behind them, Snape detected the foot steps going in the opposite direction, and turned around to give chase.

Hermione could see the fat lady ahead, and hope dared to blossom in her chest.

"Welcome home!" Blaise yelled at portrait, and she opened up in time for them to run straight through into the common room.

Both of them collapsed onto their knees, gasping for breath, their fingers still intertwined. They were both windswept, red in the face and sweaty from their run.

The common room had fallen silent when the two burst through the portrait, and remained silent as they struggled for air. Through the continued gasping, and the roar of the fire, Blaise and Hermione caught the sound of distant footsteps.

They stopped breathing as panic returned to their faces, and turned to look at the closed portrait hole, incredulously.

"Bloody hell!" Blaise murmured as he heard someone stop, gasping in front of the portrait, and knew who it was. He got to his feet abruptly pulling his wand out.

For one wild moment, Hermione thought he was going to duel their approaching potions professor, but he pointed his wand at the people in the common room.

"Listen to me, you lot, and listen well." Every face looked stricken with fear. He might not be popular, but _no one_ messed with Blaise Zabini. "We. Were. Not. Here." He spat. Then he grabbed Hermione and dragged her up the boy's stair case. On their way up they could hear Snape screaming at the portrait to let him in.

"I'm a teacher, damn it, **you will open**!" he was yelling, before Blaise closed the door to the sixth year dormitory, and leaned his back against it.

Hermione was gasping again, her nerves completely overwrought by this time. She had experienced tension, terror, guilt, then terror again, relief, and terror once more. She was gasping, willing her heart to stop racing, praying it was over. But it wasn't over.

Her heart stopped as she heard Snape from inside the common room this time.

"Did someone just run in here?"

There were some murmured replies from the students she couldn't hear.

"Do not lie to me!" Snape roared.

Hermione cringed, knowing the lower-years would crack easily if Snape kept that up.

"Damnation!" Blaise spat, looking around wildly.

"What can we do... where can we hide?" Hermione asked, her throat constricting and her eyes threatening tears.

"We need a plausible excuse for why we are out of breath... think. Think. Think." Blaise said in frustration.

An insane idea came unbidden to Hermione's mind, and without thinking she obeyed it.

She grabbed Blaise and led him over to his own bed, kicking off her shoes. She could hear Snape thundering up the boy's stair case through the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

She put her arms around the thin boy and fell against his bed, bringing him with her. The surprise on his face was the last thing she registered before she shut her eyes and kissed him. He was too shocked to react immediately, but soon he reciprocated mechanically. Both of them were too busy listening to pay too much attention to what they were doing, and so it was sloppy and wet.

The door to the dormitory banged open, but the crash was almost unheard through Snape's roar.

"POTTER!" He screamed, walking into the room fully.

Then he stopped dead.

Hermione and Blaise parted in shock, their faces struck with horror at the sight of their potion's professor.

He stared back at them, an equal dose of horror on his own face as he took in their position on Zabini's bed, their red faces, sweaty brows, and heavy breathing. All of them were galvanized as they stared at each other.

Snape was standing there in his button down white shirt, partially open to reveal his chest, and black trousers, the same thing he'd been wearing in his chambers. Outside of his chambers, he looked so odd without his potions master's garb. To further the effect, his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were popping in shock.

Running up to the sixth year dormitory, expecting to find potter and whatever he'd stolen from his personal stores, and instead finding Blaise Zabini, heir to all that is evil, laying astride Hermione Granger, princess of Gryffindor goodness, snogging her senseless, was slightly disconcerting to say the least.

"What." He sputtered. "But... Potter..." He attempted, looking utterly bewildered. "You... What." He seemed completely lost, then, sense seemed to return to him and he was able to speak coherently. "What in God's name are you two doing!" He roared at them, turning his rage against them instantly.

They stood up guiltily. Hermione's eyes were on the floor, but Blaise looked directly at his potions professor.

"I would've thought that was obvious... sir." He imbued so much hatred in to the phrase it shocked Hermione. He was another one with too much brass for his own good.

"Indeed." Snape said, his normally silky tones distorted with rage. "It appears we have a severe breech of school rules, and from a prefect no less!" He snapped. Hermione winced, tears now leaking out of her eyes.

"What on earth possessed you... No, do not answer that question! I don't care... fifty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin and detention to both of you... Now get downstairs!" He stormed.

Hermione hastened to obey, her eyes downcast and teary, she nearly ran from the room and down the stairs.

Blaise took his time, striding purposefully across the room but Snape stopped him at the door.

"Mr. Zabini." He called, making Blaise pause. "I would've thought you had more sense than to pursue such fruitless avenues of....wantonness. With your situation it is especially unwise, I thought you understood..."

"And what about your situation Professor Snape?" Blaise turned around in the door frame, seething with hatred. The flames in the room died and the air turned to ice. "It appears you can't have normal relations either, but the reason isn't as clear to me... Tell me, is there a reason you are not open with your..."

"That!" Snape cut him off, cursing Ursula for telling the boy. "Is not your concern!"

"Indeed." Blaise sneered in a perfect imitation of Snape. "And likewise, what I do is not your concern. Good evening _Professor._" Blaise snapped, and walked down the stairs.

The fire sprang back into the life and the room warmed after Blaise left. Snape let out the breath he'd been holding, which he hadn't even been aware of. Only the dark lord could ever do that to him, make him aware of his own mortality like that. Zabini was dangerous, and Granger probably had no idea... "No, she definitely has no idea." Snape reminded himself, completely forgetting the reason he was in Gryffindor tower in the first place.

He walked out of the room and down the steps, where every single shocked face turned to him.

"I am disgusted." Snape began. "We do not have cases of this type of impropriety in Slytherin house. I shall be informing Professor McGonogol tomorrow that she needs to instruct her students on _morality_." He told them all, and heard the Granger-girl's sputter of horror, indignation, and remorse. She sobbed a little more silently as Snape glared at them all.

Only Zabini dared glared back, and a shudder rose through Snape when their eyes met.

"Just make sure you stick around and listen to it." Zabini said, in a clear carrying voice. As an afterthought, he put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and smiled as Snape seethed.

Snape glared at the two of them and then swept from the room.

"Stupid sod." Blaise said in satisfaction.

* * *

Harry was indiscernibly grateful for the presence of the basilisk, when it warned him someone was coming.

He rushed them into an empty classroom and shut the door just in time to hear someone thunder through the halls, muttering to himself furiously as he went.

"Put the whole school in danger.... Just so he can snog that silly little girl... don't know _what_ Dumbledore is thinking of!"

"Snape?" Ginny asked. "Walking from Gryffindor tower?"

"You don't think!" Pansy spluttered in fear.

"Blaise and Hermione! Did they get caught?" Ginny said, and the four of them quickly made their way to the tower, throwing off the cloak only when they were in front of the portrait.

"Welcome home." Harry said, impatient to find out what happened.

Horror stricken faces met his when Harry entered the common room. He scanned the room and saw Blaise and Hermione sitting in 'the Slytherin section,' Blaise with his arm around Hermione as she cried softly.

"What happened?" Harry asked, running over to them.

Draco, Pansy and Ron all joined in the half circle to hear the answer.

"Let's go upstairs to talk about it..." Blaise said, feeling constricted, but Hermione shook her head.

"No.. I c-can't..." She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"He's not going to come back tonight... Hermione." Blaise reassured her, making Draco and Pansy's eyes widen.

"What happened?" Pansy reiterated, desperate to know.

"Snape... caught us..." Hermione was going to say 'kissing,' but her voice failed when she looked at Malfoy's face.

"What!" Harry gasped. Blaise tutted.

"No... no. Listen. He chased us all the way back here from his rooms, but wasn't able to see us properly. We hid upstairs and he found us up there, but he doesn't have any proof it was us who did it." Blaise whispered, so no one outside the circle could hear.

"Where's Ginny then?" Ron asked looking at Harry. Harry looked around. Ginny wasn't in the common room at all... then he remembered and slapped himself on the head. He left the common room without another word.

"Well, that clears everything up." Ron muttered, annoyed. "I knew I should've gone instead..." He said, looking angry at being left out.

"Hey, what happened?" It was Millicent, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry and Ginny reappeared in the common room. Harry was apologizing to Ginny, but she just waved him off easily.

"What was that about?" Ron asked them as they reappeared.

"Oh, just Potter's new pet." Draco said sarcastically. Pansy snorted.

Blaise raised his eyebrows at them, Hermione looked mildly curious through her tears.

"What's going on?" Neville asked. Behind him, Seamus and Dean were looking curiously at the strange mixed group.

"Everyone back up!" Blaise called, definitely feeling congested. The fire rose up behind him, causing sparks to fly, and everyone backed up obediently.

"Potter and I can tell you about it.... Upstairs." There was finality in his voice.

"They can't go up there, you heard Snape with his rubbish about _morality_... what was that all about anyway?" Ron asked, directing to comment to Blaise and the question to Hermione.

Hermione's cheeks burned. Now that she was away from the situation, she was utterly mortified by her actions.

"I'll explain everything." Blaise said lightly. "Upstairs." He glared at them and they obediently cleared off, leaving only the girls to stare at the two.

"Hermione and Ginny, I suppose you can manage to piece together the story for Millicent and Pansy?" Blaise asked. Both girls nodded. "Don't cry forever... Hermione." He pulled her around to face him, and gave her a hard look. She nodded, blushing furiously.

Blaise nodded at the other girls and walked up the staircase.

"What was that all about!" Pansy exclaimed. "Zabini never... I mean... never ever ...." She trailed off, amazed.

"It's been an extraordinary night.." Hermione said, and led the girls up the stairs.

* * *

**  
**

**Up next:** McGonogol and Snape lecture the occupants of Gryffindor tower about the birds and the bees... A little bit more is revealed about the mysterious hatred between Blaise and Draco (they have MAJOR reasons to hate each other)... and Blaise shares his views on good, evil and God.

**Special thanks to all my reviewers including:**

**Rain4life:** Draco is overly sensitive to Blaise's taunts because they've got major history. Blaise knows exactly what will make Draco the angriest the fastest. More of that is revealed in chapter fourteen when they finally lose it and fight each other.

Blaise is going to appear like two different people in the upcoming chapters ... as he struggles with who he really is, and the person everyone else thinks he is.... But one of your hopes for him will be revealed (in a much later chapter when you meet his best friend) Blaise does not care about pure-blood, he just doesn't want anyone to get close to him, but he will find it impossible to get Hermione to stay away from him. As you can see in this chapter, he's starting to care about her.

I'm glad you like the tension, it's only going to get worse for Hermione and her poor twisted love-life. Who will she choose!

**Jen: **Hermione is about to get more Blaise than she can handle.

**Daniellovr, Nikki, CH, Kim, BluDiamond and Bree**: Thanks for reviewing.


	9. The Talk

**This chapter:** Will not seem as thrilling as the previous two chapters, but pay attention to the byplay between Snape, Draco and Blaise. Hints galore in this chapter, see if you can start to guess what happened in the past and let me know with a review! I'd also like comments on Hermione's soliloquy regarding Tom Riddle.

**BluDiamond:** Thanks. The Basilisk disappears for the bulk of the story, but returns as an important character towards the end. Glad you enjoy the concept. I hope I can keep it just as exciting.

**Rain: **Thanks for the conjecture. And again, thank you for your loyalty. As a reward, here are a few giveaways: I don't imagine the Slytherins and Gryffindors ever getting along, it doesn't seem realistic to me. They tolerate each other while in close quarters, but eventually their patients with each other will wear thin, as you will see in this chapter. Hermione and Blaise are going to have some more problems leading up till chapter 14 (which has been written) As for Blaise and Draco, well... that's one thing I am not giving away. I think the rest of your review was cut off, so make sure to write me another long one and see if you can't guess what happened in the past. I enjoy reading them!

**Gyrlfrend, Nathonea, Wyrd, dt, Harrys lover, and tRue2u: **Thanks for the review. This is a Draco/Hermione story in a special sort of way. You'll see.

* * *

**Chapter nine: The Talk**

"And so you all understand me, if any other reports of ... impropriety come my way, I shall be most displeased." McGonogol finished.

It was early morning, all the Gryffindors and upper-year Slytherins had been gathered prior to breakfast for the "lecture on morality" Snape had promised the night before. As Blaise had suggested, Snape had stayed to listen to the talk, which turned out to be a highly embarrassing turn of events.

Every face in the room was red, but none more so than that of Hermione Granger. McGonogol seemed to think this incident warranted a horrific birds-and-bees style talk, laced with sarcasm through and through. She went over everything from a brief overview of the human reproductive system, to lecture on proper dormitory behavior, followed by a reminder of the potions available through Madame Pomfrey and rounded the whole travesty off with a stern admonition about the dignity and honor that Gryffindors and Slytherins should maintain.

Throughout the whole lecture Snape interjected pearls of sarcasm, making girls blush and boys wince, only Blaise could look right into Snape's eyes through the whole thing.

"Are there any questions?" McGonogol asked, surveying them all beadily.

Blaise raised his hand.

"Mr. Zabini?" She prompted.

"So... let me get this straight...." Blaise began, his face very serious even though he was leaning against the wall in the Slytherin section casually. "If I am to take your meaning correctly, we are not to engage in sexual activity while in school..." McGonogol nodded. "And not even until we are married...." He smirked.

"Abstinence is the best policy, Mr. Zabini." McGonogol said sternly, her eyes going beady.

Hermione was horrified. Surely Blaise wouldn't dare to...

"So." Blaise continued. "Having never been married, you and Professor Snape are both virgins then." His voice was light, in an attempt to ask the question in a tone of polite curiosity, but the menace was there all the same.

McGonogol blushed and Snape's skin turned white, both of them displaying the signs of fury the members of their houses knew so well.

"Well!" McGonogol spluttered. "Really!"

"I mean!" Blaise continued, pushing himself from the wall with the momentum of throwing out his chest. He stood straight, looking at the teachers evenly and said. "Far be it from anyone to give advice they themselves don't follow."

All around the room, upper year's eyes were tearing-up with suppressed mirth, or widening, unable to believe anyone could have that much brass.

"Mr. Zabini, this line of questioning is highly inappro..." But Snape cut her off.

"Blaise." Snape's voice held no sarcasm, hatred, disdain, or.. emotion at all. He closed his eyes briefly and opened them, looking at Blaise with an open expression he showed very few people.

The students who had been repressing their amusement, sobered at the serious look in Snape's eye.

"People grow to make their own decisions about things.... To make their own mistakes, as you well know." Blaise's eyes narrowed in fury. "That will always be the case. But it does not stop parents from warning their children against the path they themselves had chosen, and praying that they be the wiser. Ours is a generation lost to war and foolishness... too long have we clouded our minds with the bounty and temptations of this world, never giving thought to our own mortality. Now, as our age advances, and we face the prospect of death.... Are we aware... alive... awake... Only now do we turn our attention to penitence, and try to find a way to absolution."

Hermione's eyes watered, understanding Snape's words as she was sure no one else in the room did. Only she knew about his role as a death-eater-turned-spy, and his affair with the astronomy teacher.

She turned to look at Harry, standing close to Blaise and Malfoy, and saw the understanding in his eyes as well. She was shocked to see Malfoy's eyes reflecting empathy and comprehension.

Blaise only looked angrier. Snape waylaid him with a hand before he could speak.

"That excuse... the war we've been living in... doesn't stop this generation from being angry with us, of course. Likewise, we cannot stop all of you from making your own set of mistakes, and later generations will judge you for them, as you in turn judge us." Snape looked more tired than anyone had ever seen him.

"So all that is left I suppose... are talks like these.... Where we try to warn you, try to stop you, and you ignore it, as will your children." He sighed.

"You're wrong." It was Malfoy who was speaking now. His voice low, his expression pained, his eyes locked on the floor. "We didn't ignore it... we took it to heart and lived by your word... and then realized not to trust what you said, when we saw you didn't believe in your words enough to follow them."

"Then you just expected us to keep going... like nothing happened... like our beliefs had never been betrayed... like _we_ had never been betrayed." Blaise spat, continuing Draco's thought as if he'd spoken it. "What the hell were we supposed to do with ourselves?" There was silence for a time.

"Find your own way I suppose.... That's exactly what we did." Snape said. "Perhaps we are not so different." He said as an afterthought.

Snape looked at the two boys for a few more moments, then strode from the room.

Professor McGonogol was speechless, unable to believe Snape would tolerate such audacity and disrespect from his students.

"Well..." She began, loosing the thread of the discussion. "If you have any other concerns, please come and see myself or Professor Snape. I do hope none of you will give cause for another talk such as this." She looked pointedly at Ms. Granger, who blushed and inched herself behind Zabini. McGonogol frowned, knowing she would have to speak to Hermione, if her romance with the Zabini-boy was real—she would have to be warned.

* * *

"Can you believe that rubbish?" Ron asked Harry, after the teachers were gone, and the common room settled down into the normal routine. Harry shook his head, deep in thought.

Many people were discussing the esoteric conversation between Snape, Zabini and Malfoy, and attempting to find out what they were talking about.

Malfoy and Blaise were sitting at opposite ends of the Slyherin section, glaring at each other like they'd just exchanged an insult instead of sharing an opinion. Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle were all trying to force conversation, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Did you see McGonogol's face when Blaise asked if she were a virgin? Can't imagine a man who'd suffer bedding that old bat." Goyle attempted, and received an unenthusiastic snigger from Crabbe, and a false snort from Bulstrode.

All of them were careful to skirt the subject of Snape's sex life, as well as the discussion between Snape and Blaise.

"And that lecture on reproduction... honestly, you'd think we never opened a book." Millicent sneered.

"Quiditch soon... Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor... what do you reckon?" Crabbe asked Malfoy, with forced enthusiasm.

Draco remained silent, still seething over angst he'd hoped was long forgotten. Blaise was actually taking deep calming breaths, his eyes screwed shut in anger. The other slytherins shuddered delicately.

"Hey... Blaise... fancy a fly?" Goyle attempted... rather bravely.

"I don't like to fly. I feel like it's a loss of control." Blaise ground out through clenched teeth. "Bastards... all of them." He added, his eyes snapping open. "I hope the dark lord kills him.... Tortures him into insanity before subjecting him to a slow and painful murder." Blaise spat.

"You... you don't mean that." Hermione said, coming from behind Blaise and overhearing his death wish.

She was intensely curious about what he'd said to Snape.

The Slytherins' eyes widened in horror, and they tried to tell Granger, with silent gestures, to leave the subject of Snape alone.

"Oh yes I do." Blaise whispered. "I want him dead. I want them all dead." He stood up and turned around to face the girl. He was taken aback by the tears in her eyes.

"They're still people, Blaise."

Behind Blaise, the Slytherins stood up and were now making frantic gestures for Hermione to stop talking.

"You don't know what they are!" he snapped at her. "They aren't people.... They aren't human... they lost their humanity when they took Voldemort for a god."

Everyone in the room stopped, some gasped or jumped at the sound of the name.

"Shut it, Zabini." Draco said, getting to his feet lazily. Blaise snorted.

"Your dad in particular Malfoy....I want him dead... I want them all dead." He turned his head slightly to eye Malfoy... to dare the blond to contradict him.

Malfoy's face contorted with rage.

"Tom Riddle is no god." Hermione said quietly. All eyes turned to her. "He was just a boy... an orphaned boy... raised in a muggle orphanage by strict nuns who he hated... small, and dark, and full of magical power he hadn't learned to control... he was ostracized by the other children, and labled as _violent and withdrawn_ by the adults.

"The nuns whipped him when he accidentally performed magic... telling him it was the work of the devil... that it was evil... to Tom Riddle, magic was the reason his muggle father abandoned his mother... magic was the reason he was an orphan... magic was the reason he was the odd-man-out in the orphanage.. magic was evil.. and he was magical..

"so he was evil."

"already believing himself forsaken by god... and facing eternal damnation upon pain of death.... He sought to overcome his own mortality.. to ascend to a status of god-hood himself...... to cheat death, and establish a kingdom for himself on earth, where he was in charge and where his justice reigned... where no one magical would ever be made to suffer at the hands of his muggle inferior ever again...."

"But even after all that.... He was still a boy once.. a man, once. His driving force remains rooted in his past trauma... as the twig is bent, so grows the tree. Tom Riddle is a product of his environment... and... hate him, curse him, or worship him.. it doesn't make him anything other than that."

Blaise snorted is disbelief, but looked visibly calmer. He nodded at Hermione in approval.

Tears were leaking out of Ginny's eyes: Finally someone understood her... Understood what Tom really was.

Harry, however, was angry.

"Yeah... poor Riddle... killed my parents and hundreds more, but all he needs is a little understanding and a big hug." Harry spat. "Zabini is right. They all need to drop dead... every last one of them."

The tension in the room was palpable. The Slyherins would take it from Zabini, he was one of there's, but not from Potter.

"Watch it, Potter... you don't want to go making any enemies." Bulstrode's voice was menacing.

"They are my enemies already... who else wants on the list?" Potter spat back.

"And what are you going to do Harry.. kill them all?" Hermione asked lightly.

"Hermione! I just can't believe you!" Ron snapped, popping up on Harry's other side. "You... you... you saw first hand, we were all there... Lucious Malfoy threaten to kill us all with blood lust in his eyes... he _wanted _ to do it Hermione, he relished the thought.

"Belatrix Lestrange asking permission to torture Ginny and Neville.. just for the _fun_ of seeing how long before Neville cracked like his parents. She killed Sirius.. and any of them would've killed us without a second thought...

"Jesus, Hermione! Dolohov nearly killed you! He cut you open like a fish, and smiled as he did it... and what... you just want to let them live?" He finished in a roar.

Blaise was looking at Hermione, an odd twinkle in his eyes as he surveyed her. In truth, everyone else was looking at her too.

Hermione looked pained at the memory, tears gathering in her eyes, but not falling.

"Malfoy." She said quietly, at long last. "Who taught you to fly?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He looked taken aback.

"My dad..." he replied defensively. It was the first time Harry had ever heard him use the word "dad" instead of "father."

"And who took care of you when you were ill?" She continued.

"What are you getting at Granger?" Pansy asked, defensive over Draco.

"Did he love you? Did he let you know he did? Did he tell you, or just show you?"

Draco's face was completely open- slightly shocked, slightly pained, and full of other emotions as memories crossed his face like sunlight through a tree in the wind.

"Everyday....... He told me. He showed me. He raised me." His voice was oddly choked.

"He tried to kill me." Hermione said, approaching Draco to stand in front of him. "But even so... I'm sorry I was one of the ones.... To take him away from you."

Draco's face contorted with pain, and he turned towards the wall, hiding his face in his chin length hair.

"I'm not." Harry said, breaking the moment of empathy. "I'm not for one second sorry- that he's in Azkaban."

"Harry..." Hermione began, but he cut across her.

"I'm an orphan." He began, his voice devoid of all emotion, his face blank. "Raised by muggles who despise me... who think I'm unnatural, even evil... Forced to live the majority of my life in a cage that wouldn't suit an animal... suffering under death threats and starvation, all the while being bullied by Dudley and his friends... _That_ is how the twig was bent, Hermione... and you don't see me turning to the dark arts for revenge... you don't see me conversing with the worst type of people... or trying to take over the world.

"Riddle and me... we've had the same start... Hell, I **begged** to be put in an orphanage after what I'd been through!" He yelled. "And I'm not a killer!" He stopped, his eyes widening as he choked on his own words. "Not yet... anyway." He looked down, unable to face anyone.

"But I will kill. I will kill Voldemort... I will kill Tom Riddle... the boy, the man, the murderer."

"Why?" Blaise asked, looking closely at Harry. "Why bother? Just let him be, one of his followers will betray him eventually... kill him... and they'll squabble for power and kill each other... that's what happens to people who seek power.

Like calls to like."

The slytherins were petrified by the phrase.

"Like calls..." Harry's face opened up.

"To like." Blaise finished, looking at him evenly. "He who lives in violence, must return to violence." He added, embittered.

"My dad didn't live in violence.... But he died fighting Voldemort... straight backed, and proud, and defending me and my mother. That's why I'm going to kill him Zabini, because it's the right thing to do."

Blaise snorted.

"I wondered when you'd get around to the eventual ethical argument. Right and wrong." He snorted again. "There is no such thing."

"Funny, that's exactly what Voldemort told me... he said there was no right and wrong, only power and those strong enough to wield it. Is that what you believe Zabini?" Potter's voice was dangerous.

"Power is an illusion Potter. Didn't I tell you what happens to people who seek power? The dark lord understands only the most basic principle of power: that it is indifferent, but often corrupting. He doesn't understand that this entire world is indifferent, and often corrupting... because it's fleeting, shallow, and over in an instant for each of us... you could spend your time attaining power like the dark lord... or knowledge, like Granger... or even..." He laughed. "Absolution... salvation. In the end, you're dead, just the same as everyone else is... and it matters very little what you were, when your body returns to the earth."

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Ron jeered.

"So what's the point, if everything's fleeting? Do we just let the world become corrupted? Just let maniacs like Voldemort take over and make our lives miserable? Who is going to fight the good fight?" Harry asked.

"If god wants evil vanquished... if god wants Voldemort dead... he can come down here and do it himself." Blaise hissed, to more gasps of outrage and terror.

"That's going too far Zabini!" Seamus exploded, his Catholic mother's lessons ringing in his ears. "It isn't for you to say those things about God. You should fear and love God. " There were murmurs of agreement all over the room.

"And yet, you don't fear him at all. He created you and gave you an order to preserve your chastity among other things... did you do that Finnigan?" Blaise retorted, his eyes traveling over to Lavender, who blushed.

"You're one to talk.. getting caught with Granger upstairs doing God knows what..." Blaise's wand was on him, making him fall silent.

The room was silent and tense. Hermione cut through the silence with rich ringing laughter. She laughed so hard she had to steady herself on a nearby chair.

"Is THAT what you lot think? I'm still able to touch unicorns Seamus, you needn't worry about that. But thank you for the lovely display of friendship and loyalty." Hermione added rather nastily.

"Loyalty is right, Granger." Seamus spat. "Whose side are you on."

Unconsciously, the room had divided. Slytherins on one half and Gryffindors on the other, and Hermione was standing with the Slytherins.

"I think the lot of this is ridiculous." Hermione replied. "I agree with Snape." She continued, ignoring Blaise and Draco's looks of mutiny. "I think our generation is making the same mistake as the past one... Growing up in a completely one-sided environment, and believing in the propaganda we've been fed, only to reach adulthood and realize that it's all rubbish, but be already too deeply entrenched in battle to do anything but fight for our lives."

"That's what they did, that's what they are doing. At this point, no one is following V-Voldemort...." Winces and hisses. "Because they actually _want_ to.. with!" She snapped, cutting off Harry before he could utter the protest he'd opened his mouth to say. "With... the notable exception of a few... enthusiasts, shall we say.

"Nothing proved that better than the quiditch world cup.. summer of third year... You were there Seamus, you saw what those X-death eaters were doing, and you saw how they reacted when the dark mark was cast into the sky... they ran. They didn't want him to be back, it was their greatest fear that he was back, because they didn't want to serve him anymore.

"If they did, than he would've been back ages ago.. perhaps hours after Harry first defeated him... but when they thought he'd gone, they all broke up and left him mostly-dead.... Four... count them: Barty Crouche Jr., Bellatrix, Rudolphus and Rabastian Lestrange ... that was it, they were the only four who tried to find Riddle... who tried to help him, who went to Azkaban for him. Five if you count Peter Pettigrew, and that's it.

"How many death eaters are there, compared those five who tried to help him. But they're stuck following him... bound to him by the darkmark that he put on those foolish enough to make one lousy, stupid mistake... to prevent them from backing out once they'd realized what they'd done." Hermione finished, and took a deep breath.

"And now..." Ginny continued for Hermione, thinking it was about time someone stood up for her. "Now it's happening again. Riddle is back, using the same tactics of intimidation, promise of power, or revenge to rope people into taking the mark... and after they do, they're stuck, though the may regret it for the rest of their lives, and hate it with all their heart..... they'll live by it, and force their kids to do the same...." She walked to stand next to Hermione.

Hermione took her hand and squeezed it in gratitude.

"Even if they hate it... it's still a war." Ron protested. "It's still kill or be killed. We can't waste time feeling sorry for the other side."

"What other-side, Ron? Aren't we just kids at school?" Ginny retorted.

"Ask Riddle if he cares whether you're a kid or not next time he possesses you." Ron spat.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed, as Ginny burst into tears. But Ron stormed from the common room without another word. The door slammed shut and silence reigned for a time.

"What are we supposed to do Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.

"Aren't I always the one following you everywhere, Harry?" Hermione said, her eyes full of emotion as she looked at him, desperate for him to understand.

"And look what happened the last time I didn't listen to you... You.. Ginny.. Neville... Luna... Ron... Sirius..." he choked on the last name. "What is there to be done?"

"Stand together Harry... as students, not as houses. That's what needs to be done." Hermione whispered. "Just like Dumbledore and the sorting hat said."

Harry's eyes were fixed on the floor.

"I'll try if they will." He said at last.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, joy coursing through her, and she threw herself on him in a tight hug. She felt Ginny's arms around them both, and heard Harry's soft chuckle.

The tension in the room was gone after that. Some people laughed at the two girls continuing to embrace the boy who lived so hard, that the three of them fell over as one.

Only two faces seemed tight with worry. Draco Malfoy skirted the edge of the common room to disappear up the boy's stair case. Blaise Zabini, noticing his normal retreat was taken, cast a quick attention-repelling charm on himself and exited the common room.

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Review!  



	10. Those who lived

**Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, no cards... no presents... and I'm spending the evening pretending not to exist. **Yes people, today I am 21 years old.

**Give me a gift: ** I currently have 39 reviews for this fiction. I would like 21 reviews for 21 years... putting me at 60. The 60th reviewer gets a slice of birthday cake! So go on, hit the review button.

**This chapter**: is another in between chapter. sigh I was hoping to post a more exciting one (like the next two) on my birth day. The theme of this chapter is despair. Also, look for more hints regarding our mysterious dark prince: Blaise Zabini. Can you piece together what happened yet?

**Readers, I need your help:** In addition to 21 reviews for 21 years, I am having an enormous bout of writers block. I'm on chapter 15 right now and I just don't know how to end the stupid thing and resolve the conflict. Ideas? Also, I got my first flame.. not on this fiction but on 'Summer days'... a brainless stupid fic about my favorite HP character: Snape. Don't read it, it's terrible. You'll lose all respect for me. What should I do with the flame? Delete it? Reply? Hmmm...

**Reviewers: **Since I got a good deal of you this time round, please see replies to your comments at the end of the chapter. Thank you for your loyalty, and please continue to encourage me with your reviews.

* * *

**Chapter ten: Those who lived**

"And then he said 'If god wants Voldemort dead, he can come down here and kill him himself.'" Harry finished, then kicked the rock he'd been toeing as he orated the post-lecture discussion of that morning.

It was Saturday, thankfully, and so after the discussion had ended, Harry got off the floor and began to contemplate the conversation. He'd pondered the good and evil vs. power arguments before, and decided Voldemort was mistaken; But he'd never thought of evil in relation to God before. Confused, Harry decided to seek guidance on the matter and went to visit Hagrid.

"Ere yer go honeybee." Hagrid said, throwing another dead rat into the field near the quiditch pitch, where his new charge was enjoying the task of finding the food blindfolded.

"Are you listening, Hagrid? What am I supposed to say to that? ... The Dursleys never cared about religion to teach me anything."

"Don' pay 'im no mind, 'Arry." Hagrid said, turning to face Harry at last.

"It makes me wonder about some things though...." Harry said.

Harry knelt down to pat the head of the basilisk, which had just deposited a dead rat at his feet.

"Good honeybee." He said, patting her head.

After the talk this morning, Harry and Ginny left to collect the basilisk they'd hidden in an empty class room over night. They took it to Hagrid's house. Harry told him they had found the basilisk near the entrance to the forbidden forest, and she was in need of someone to take care of her. Harry felt bad lying to Hagrid about her, but because the errand he had been running had been for Hermione's life debt, he was bound to keep it all a secret.

Hagrid had been ecstatic to receive a basilisk, and so far had been pampering her with his full attention and a boat load of fresh meat. Harry didn't know if it was possible, but it seemed as if Honeybee, as Hagrid had dubbed her, for her yellow and black coloring and peculiar predilection for flowers, was larger than she had been last night.

She was a baby, that was true, but she was still around ten feet long, and twice as thick as an anaconda, with a much larger head. Her bulbous yellow eyes were closed and hidden beneath a blind fold Hagrid had harnessed to her head, so as not to scare the rest of the students. He and Harry alone believed Honeybee was harmless, but they knew the rest of the students would not be so accepting of her, with the memories of the terror the monster of slytherin had inspired fresh in their minds.

"The monster of Slytherin.." Harry reflected. "Riddle and the diary... The pain Ginny went through..." He paused for a moment, still patting Honeybee idly. "Professor Lupin's lycanthropy... Voldemort's resurrection.... Cedric's death... and... and... Sirius." He shut his eyes tightly. "Hagrid.. why do bad things have to happen? Why couldn't God make the world a peaceful place where no one was evil, and no one was sad?"

Hagrid took a seat on the log Harry was sitting on, causing Harry's end to shift upward, and nearly unseating the boy who lived. Hagrid was silent for a time, watching the forbidden forest's leafless branches creek in the wind.

"Winter holiday is almost 'ere." Hagrid commented sadly.

"Hagrid.." Harry began impatiently.

"Used to wonder the same thing. Thought I was cursed or summ'it. Mi mum leaving.. mi dad dying.. gettin' expelled an' all... Why did everything 'ave ter 'appen ter me?"

Harry looked up at Hagrid hopefully.

"Don' 'ave a simple answer fer yer Harry... tsnot an easy question is't?"

Harry sighed and shook his head.

Honeybee rested her own head in Harry's lap, hissing contentedly as he pet her.

"What troubles you?" She said.

"How do you know anything is wrong?" Harry asked her.

"I smell tension and taste sadness." She replied.

"We're... discussing... loss." He didn't know how rhetorical snakes could be, and didn't want to confuse her.

"I didn't know what to think when my mother did not return... I was alone for so long. Then the gate opened, and I saw her there...."

"I'm sorry." Harry said. "That you had to see that."

Honeybee didn't answer for a time, but eventually said: "I'm not. Because I had never seen the light before, or the outside of my coven.... And it was worth it to go out and be free like this."

Harry looked down at her, her eyes still covered with the mask, and frowned.

"But you can't see right now."

"Yesss... But when I do, at night when that giant takes me inside... it makes up for the time in darkness."

"'was that she's sayin' there 'Arry?" Hagrid asked with interest.

"The best advice I've heard all day." Harry answered, smiling.

It didn't matter what Zabini thought, or what had happened in the past, because he couldn't change any of it. Tom Riddle became what he was because he dwelled on the past, and allowed despair to consume him. Unknowingly, Harry had begun to do the same thing, allowing his grief to swallow him whole and pulling him into the downward spiral of depression so deep, it was all he could do to keep himself from falling apart. It wasn't until Hermione described Tom Riddle during their conversation this morning, described his feelings, and Harry had retorted saying they were the same as his that Harry realized.... They **_were_** the same as his.

And suddenly, he was lost.. for that moment.. as the comprehension of what he had just said dawned on him, and he professed his intention to the entire Gryffindor common room, to kill another individual. **_The same._**

He shuddered, completely galvanized, but no one seemed to notice, thankfully. He used the rest of the argument to try to think of something that could absolve him of this mental crisis... and it came to him. Dumbledore had said he was different because of his choices... and at that moment, he asked Hermione what to do so he did not, yet again, make the wrong decision.

Now, as he sat here petting the monster of Slytherin, he realized there was an entirely different reason he was not the same, and the thought had made him smile. He wasn't alone. He still had his friends and they were still loyal to him... they still loved him. He didn't have to brand the people around him to get them to stay close to him. Nothing could replace Sirius, or his parents, but it was an insult to those who continued to support him to say that he was alone.

What was important was to look towards the future and try to salvage the rest of his life. For the first time since Sirius died, Harry's heart lightened a little.

"Oh yea? What advice issat?" Hagrid asked.

"Appreciation." Harry answered, expertly removing the harness that covered the Basilisk's eyes.

Large Bulbous yellow orbs, broken only by two vertical black slits blinked open at him, and winked.

Harry smiled.

"Thank you Honeybee... one day.. you and I will go somewhere, and you won't have to wear that mask anymore."

The serpent laid it's head back down on his lap in response, not noticing the silent vow her master renewed at that moment: To see this war through to the end, and ensure the well being of as many people as possible, including her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I tell you, I was utterly shocked." McGonagall was saying as she paced the study. "I couldn't believe he let his students talk to him that way."

"Severus has always given Misters Zabini and Malfoy leeway... he was there throughout their upbringing after all... Mr. Zabini in particular... well, you know the story."

"Speaking of which, with a temper like that and so much power, shouldn't we be restricting his social interactions a bit more?"

Dumbledore laughed and shook his head.

"This was one of the many hopes I had for this arrangement, Minerva. I have provided Mr. Zabini with alternative exit strategies from Gryffindor tower should he need them, but all should be well." McGonagall did not look convinced.

"Perhaps..." continued Dumbledore. "It is Ms. Granger you are worried about?"

She said nothing.

"Minerva..." Dumbledore stood up from his desk and joined her by the study window. "Wouldn't we all like to shield those we love from any harm. I myself went out of my way to shield Harry... and look what happened as a result? If I had simply told him...."

"Sirius Black's death was not your fault, Albus... and nor were the Potters'.." She snapped at him sharply.

Dumbledore only sighed in response.

"I wanted him to be happy for once, Minerva... After everything he'd been through, I thought that at least.. while he was here... he could be happy." Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

Minerva snorted, staring out onto the grounds, where Harry and Hagrid were throwing dead rats to Hagrid's new pet.

"What is happiness?" She asked rhetorically.

"Mmmm." Dumbledore hummed while popping a lemon drop into his mouth. "What you make it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked sharply.

"It means, that two different people could experience the same situation and come away from it with two very different feelings. Reality is not and can never be an absolute... it is as the individual experiences it." All the sudden Dumbledore blinked, turned to Professor McGonagall with a kind of surprised expression, and burst into a hearty chuckle.

"I do believe, my good professor McGonagall, that I have just been subject to 'a taste of my own medicine' as they say."

Minerva smiled slyly.

"Oh? I'm not aware I did anything remotely manipulative..." She said primly, unable to keep a smirk off her face.

"Indeed, you merely asked a question to which you knew I would respond in such a way so as to contradict my previous assertion of responsibility over Harry's happiness. You are correct Minerva, it is indeed up to Harry to decide whether he spends his life in joy or despair, as a matter of how he chooses to perceive the events that take place."

"You've every right to worry... I mean look at the similarities... Orphans, raised by magic-hating muggles, friendless as children, bullied, the list goes on and on. I myself was worried sick during his sorting, but in the end he chose Gryffindor."

"Oh, and does choosing Slytherin forsake him of hope?"

"Albus!" Minerva replied impatiently. "Do you see any hope in Slytherin house?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and his beard twitched.

McGonagall snorted.

"You turned it around on me in the end, old man." Minerva said, smirking at her employer and friend. Then she frowned. "But that Zabini boy..."

"Has made a friend... even if he didn't mean to... and if anyone can bring him out of his shell it is Hermione. Look at what she did for Victor Krum."

"She does seem to have a predilection for the dark and brooding. That should change..."

"Oh? Perhaps you prefer a more blond and patrician type for her?" Dumbledore chuckled at McGonagall's sharp look.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy's actions certainly were not expected, and while they are a pleasant surprise.. Oh look at us, we're too old to be gossiping over student relationships like wasteful teenagers!" Dumbledore chuckled.

"I find it rather refreshing." Dumbledore admitted, his eyes following the baby basilisk as it wound its way through the field expertly.

"There are more important things to be worried about at the moment... What about the school?"

"Perhaps a staff meeting this afternoon would be prudent, there seems to be a lot going on at the moment to discuss."

"Agreed, I shall alert the staff." McGonagall said primly, then turned to leave. She paused at the door. "And Mr. Zabini?"

"I do not believe Blaise will hurt Hermione, at least, not in the way you are imagining." McGonagall made an impatient noise. "Minerva... he is still a human being, no matter what –uh- gifts he was born with. We cannot write him off because of his background...."

"Albus.." McGonagall cut him off. "Blaise Zabini proved himself capable of murder at the age of **ten**."

"That was an exceptional circumstance Minerva.. as I have explained."

"The boy is dangerous, Albus! And..." McGonagall seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "He isn't Severus, Albus... It isn't as simple as bringing him away from the dark side, he..."

Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"What would you have me do, expel him for daring to befriend a Gryffindor? Who else would he befriend, he's completely ostracized by those in his own house.. all of them know his past."

"No.. but.. Well... he is only here by your leave and..." She trailed off, willing Dumbledore to understand what she was getting at.

"I will think on it, Minerva." He said, and faced the window again.

She sighed and exited.

"But I wish you would learn, that not everything is at it is first thought to be." Dumbledore said to the empty room, his eyes still following the Monster of Slytherin as it played with the boy who lived.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ron looked up as a familiar face appeared at the library doors. He sighed guiltily, and got up from his study table. Moving swiftly through the rows of books, he made his way towards the girl he'd loved his entire life.

After the fight, he'd left the common room in a huff, but quickly he started to feel guilty. Who was he to react with such self-centeredness after everything that had transpired between them. He stayed in the library, knowing she had a book to return, and hoping to catch her... to tell her he was sorry.

She spotted him before he was in speaking range, and rolled her eyes. Turning, she made to leave before he could talk to her and say what he needed to say.

"Ginny, wait." He called, making her pause.

His little sister. His only younger sibling. Ron had always felt that he, more than any of his other siblings, had a duty to protect Ginny. More than that, he adored her more than he ever let anyone know.

"Make it quick Ron, I'm expecting Riddle to possess me anytime now." She snapped, still not turning to look at him.

"About that, I'm sorry alright?" And he really meant it.

"No, it's not alright." She snapped back in a hiss, turning on her heel furiously to face him. "It most certainly is not alright!"

Madame Pince was boring holes into their heads from her position behind the check out desk.

Ginny glared at her defiantly.

Ron took Ginny's hand and led her out of the library before the famous Weasley temper got them both in detention.

Out in the hall way, she wrenched her wrist from his grasp.

"How dare you." She snapped. "You don't get it at all do you? My first year here at Hogwarts and I can't remember half of it! You'll never understand what it's like to think your mad, and to find out that you nearly killed a load of innocent people... including your best friend! You think that's easy for me to remember! You think it doesn't hurt me to bring it up! And my own brother just shoves it in my face when he sees fit."

"Ginny... I..."

"No, you shut up and listen to me!" She hissed, making passers-by hurry away in fright. It was obvious this was something she'd been holding in for ages.

"You sit there and imagine how it is for me... waking up every night from nightmares of setting a giant snake on your classmates... dreaming of Riddle's hands bursting from your chest as he climbs out of your body, killing you slowly in the process, because I'll tell you Ron, that's exactly how it felt when it happened.

"But you.. .you came and got your lovely special award for services to the school. _Ginny is alive, so she must be ok!" _She said in a mock happy voice. "Well I wasn't ok! And I haven't been ever since. I tried so hard to forget it... I forced myself to act normal... but I was never the same...

"Even so..." Her voice had become a whisper. "Even so... After all of that... who has more right to hate him? You or I, Ronald?"

She fell silent.

Ron was gaping at her, unable to believe she'd kept all this in so long. And then he felt even guiltier for not protecting her from it all, and not making sure she was taken care of afterward.

"You." He replied, frowning deeply with guilt.

"That's right... me. And you know what?" He shook his head. "I don't hate him. Because I, more than anyone, understand what it was to be him... because I was him... because even though I regret with all my heart attacking those people.... at the time... I hated them with every fiber of my being... I hated them and wanted them dead..." She smiled sadly.

"Even Hermione... I wanted them all dead for existing, for daring to look happy... for having muggle parents who accepted their magic, and didn't hate them for it, for having parents at all... I hated them, like it was me." Tears gathered in her eyes. "I don't feel sorry for myself that I was possessed. I feel sorry for myself only when I forget that it wasn't me it all happened to; When I forget that I wasn't the orphan.. when I forget I wasn't slytherin.. that's the only time I feel bad... when I hate... everyone... And when I forget, I don't hate anyone as much as I hate myself."

She looked up at her brother.

"That's why I cannot hate Tom Riddle... he hates himself more than anyone else.. and." She actually smiled sadly. "something Blaise said this morning made me realize... maybe that's why he's doing all of this. Maybe he destroys, because he wants to be destroyed. Like calls to like."

Ron blinked at her.

"I'm sorry Gin... I'm sorry I failed you like that..." He couldn't look at her now.

Ginny inspected her brother closely, and smiled at him. She couldn't stay angry with him, and a lot of what she'd just said was venting, not really directed at anybody.

Being in the chamber of secrets again last night had been a greater strain on her emotions that she had thought it would. Last night in her dreams, she had relived all the moments she'd spent as Tom Riddle, opening the chamber, conversing with the basilisk in parcel tongue, and ordering it to attack her fellow students. Only to find herself in the chamber, laying on her back and watching, in horror, as a sixteen year old boy was born from her chest... as her sole was ripped from her body to create him. Just thinking about it made her sick with nausea and her skin crawled in disgust.

More than even that horrible memory, however, the complete despair haunted her. The absolute hopelessness of being Tom Riddle was the real curse of the diary. And in those dreams, Ginny became something not-human.... A sociopath, with absolutely nothing to lose. And Tom Riddle lived that reality, every day of his life.

It wasn't Ron's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault except perhaps Lucious Malfoy's. And even then, Ginny did not hate anyone or blame anyone for it. In a way she was glad it happened, because she was stronger because of it.

Ron was still looking at her with great apprehension and grief. She hugged him. He returned the gesture and held it.

"Still." Ron said. "If Riddle wants death, why doesn't he just kill himself?"

"He thought about it loads... and he was prepared to do it a few times... but one thing always stopped him."

"What was that?" Ron sounded like he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"His mother. She died giving birth to him you know... and even though he was miserable.. and he hated life... he told himself he had to live, both his share and her's... That was the duty of those who lived."

"Those who lived...." Ron repeated thoughtfully. After a pause he said. "Do you know what the mirror of Erised is?" Ginny shook her head, while backing away and ending their embrace. "It's a mirror that shows you what you are most desperate for... and Harry.. he saw his parents."

Ginny put a hand to her mouth and looked away, feeling distinctly ashamed of herself. She gave a fake little snort.

"I keep forgetting... no matter how bad it is for me, it's ten times worse for Harry. I don't know how he keeps going."

"He said the same thing about you, you know?" Ron said, looking down at his little sister lovingly. He hoped for her, that one day Harry might return her affection. If there was ever a man that deserved her, it was his best friend.

Ginny smiled.

"Harry said.." Ron continued. "That if it weren't for us... you and me and Hermione.. that he might've chosen that route. That if he hadn't met me on the train, he might've shaken Draco Malfoy's hand in friendship, and been a Slytherin right now. Riddle didn't have anyone supporting him, he shut himself away from other people and never let himself feel anything for anyone. I think..." Ron paused, his ears turning pink. "You were right Gin, you and Hermione. Riddle _is _a product of his environment... but that doesn't mean we can stop fighting him."

"No... I know we can't."

"I just.." his whole face was red now. "I just don't want anyone to die... I'm sick of people getting hurt. It's just like mum said 'half the family is in the order... we'll be lucky if one of us doesn't die.' I don't want anything else to happen to the people I care about." Ginny patted his back encouragingly.

"I don't know what's worse Ron... being the victim, or being the survivor.. I would hate to be like Harry... and carry the guilt of surviving...First his parents then Cedric, and then... Sirius.... He has to carry the weight of living for those he's watched die." There was silence for a time, as the two youngest Weasley's contemplated what had been said.

"Dear lord," Ron whispered at last, putting a protective arm around his sister. "Please, let us be neither one."

"Amen."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Argh this chapter bites! But I needed to give some attention to the other characters and their thoughts and feelings, because very shortly you aren't going to see any of them (winter break is coming up, for myself and the characters) Plus, it'll be important later on in the story.

On with the replies:

**Bludiamond:** Hope this chapter didn't disappoint. If you want tension tho, wait till the next chapter where the tension is so palpable you can cut it with a knife.

**Jewel:** I'm honored by your words. Almost cried? Wow. It makes me really happy to know people are taking the conflict to heart. Actually, the words Blaise spoke in the last chapter are exactly how I used to feel. What Harry said in this chapter was a revelation I also had in a similar circumstance. Basically, the characters will go through the process of discovering the same spiritual development as I did... (write what you know, as they say) and I hope others can grow from it. Even if you didn't review before, I appreciate the one you gave me, and hope to hear from you more.

**Harrys lover:** Ron was angry that Hermione and Ginny were defending Tom Riddle and the Slytherins. He doesn't believe they deserve excuses, that's why he got angry. I hope this chapter resolved a little of that for you.

**Xeled: **If you like conflict, more of it is on the way.

**Ehlonna:** Thank you for your conjecture. I named Professor Sinistra: Ursula, because she is not given a first name or age in the book. I decided on Ursula because it is a famous constellation and she is an astronomy teacher. As for Professor Sinistra and Blaise's relationship... you'll see. (muwhoahahahha)

You picked up on the betrayal section where others didn't, good job. **BIG HINT:** The betrayal Blaise and Draco talked about has NOTHING to do with Voldemort. Do you see where this is going now with the other BIG HINT given in this chapter. (I take great pleasure in sustaining this secrets) Thanks for the review and keep it up.

**Draco-severus-mmm:** Yes, I corrected the spellings in this chapter and I plan on correcting the spellings in the previous ones and separating the sequences a little better. Thanks for the critique. As for the bathroom scene, it was supposed to by mysterious until Myrtle showed up. If it was unclear after Myrtle showed up, then that is my bad as a writer.

**Ammiva:** Did you not agree with Hermione's assessment? I'm curious as to what you believe made Voldemort the way he is then (seriously... at the end of this book there is a huge scene where voldemort's feeling are thrown into sharp relief, and I'd love some input) Glad you like Blaise, he's my favorite... and you are the only one whose noticed that despite his cold exterior, he's an angry angry person. If you like Blaise antagonizing Snape, wait till the next chapter. Keep reviewing!

**Veryimpressedreader: **The best? Are you serious? -blushes- I highly doubt that. If you want "the best" I'd suggest something on my favorite's list... The story didn't start out as well as I had hoped.. but I'm hoping it'll get better. Keep reviewing.

**Rain:** Don't despair! You'll become the dark lord! If you're hoping for more Blaise/Hermione action, it's not over! And don't worry, you'll get a whole lot of Draco's thoughts and feelings thereabout chapter 17 when the synergy potion yields an unforeseen result. (Muwhoahahhaha) Did you figure out what's up with Blaise and Draco yet? You'll get a lot more in chapter 14 (As promised).. See if you can't help me with the above request while you're at it. Thanks for the loyalty.

**Nevermind, broken hearts, unclear-meaning, Faydra, avi-07, Ashley, Sarah, Nathonea, Ravens-Jade, Rulerofthedisenchantedforest, halcyona: THANK YOU! ** Even if I didn't personalize your messages, I still appreciate each and everyone of your reviews. Let's go for 21!


	11. Sinister

**Thanks for 66 reviews!** Thank you all for the 27 reviews I've received since my birthday, and all the birth day well wishing! See the responses to your reviews at the bottom.

**Help me:** I still haven't shaken this writer's block, even though I've had some good advice. I know what I want to happen but I can't concentrate on writing it out. So I'm still stuck on chapter 15. Any ideas?

**Chapter eleven: Sinister**

"Blaise…" Blaise stopped walking, but did not turn around.

Hermione looked over her shoulder to see who had called. Her face paled.

"Professor Sinistra." Hermione muttered, wondering at her ability to attract confrontations.

According to Blaise _like calls to like_, so perhaps she should work on her personality. All this stress was getting to her, she was starting to feel dizzy.

"What." Blaise said finally, still not looking at her.

"I was wondering if we might have a chat." Said the Professor.

"mmmm…no. We're on our way to detention, right now." Blaise said, and raised the hand which was holding Hermione's to indicate the two of them were going together.

It was just after dinner, but after hearing McGonogol and Snape's lecture on morality that morning just before breakfast, Hermione had been rather disinclined to eat the entire day. Add to that, the embarrassment of everyone knowing _she_ was the reason for _the talk_ made her insides writhe with humiliation and completely ruined her appetite.

Blaise and Hermione had decided to continue their charade of dating, lest Snape- or anyone else for that matter- get suspicious, and it was already turning into more trouble than it was worth. Still, after the talking to the entire tower had received, everyone knew- or at least thought- that Blaise and Hermione were a couple. They didn't have any choice but to keep playing the part, and neither one of them was happy about it.

However, it was either play the romantic couple, forced to keep their relationship a secret all this time because of the rivalries between their houses, or deal with the indulgent rumors people would make up to explain away the circumstances leading up to "the talk." It seemed the entire school had known of the talk at breakfast, and the rumors that were beginning to circulated took up a broad spectrum –everything from Hermione whoring herself out to purebloods as a way to climb the social ladder, to ideas that Blaise had used his legendary dark power to ensnare Harry Potter's best friend as part of the Dark Lord's master plan to destroy him.

It was obvious which houses were spreading which version of events, but neither Blaise nor Hermione wanted to deal with the whispers surrounding them at breakfast. They'd chosen the lesser evil, and spread their own version of the tale which had circulated around the school by lunch. To validate it, and punish Hermione in his own way, Blaise had held her hand when ever in her company.

Only the "inner circle" as Ginny had dubbed the odd group consisting of herself, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise, knew the whole truth. Consequently, the others were led to believe Hermione and Blaise had been caught kissing in the astronomy tower and were chased by Snape all the way to the common room. Seamus hadn't behaved the same towards her since the row this morning.

He wasn't the only one.

Ron had been ignoring her since last night when he heard about the fake kiss. She heard his exclamation from the girl's dormitory where she was telling the story to the other girls, from the boy's dormitory where Blaise was telling it. She wondered if that was why he overreacted on Ginny, because he was never so coarse with his sister.

"I see… I heard about your er… girlfriend.. from Professor Snape." Professor Sinistra was saying, eying Hermione with the distaste.

Blaise snorted and turned around fully, forcing Hermione to walk around him as he kept hold of her hand.

"Don't you mean _Severus_." Blaise sneered. "And what I do is not his business or anyone else's."

"Blaise, your mum and I warned you about this… you don't want to…"

"There are a lot of things you probably don't want me doing, but that hasn't stopped me before and it won't now. Good evening Ursula." Blaise said and dragged Hermione towards detention.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What was that all _that _about?" Hermione asked as they approached the new potion's classroom.

"Never you mind." Blaise sneered, not looking at her.

Hermione made an impatient noise with her tongue but did not persist.

"Speaking of _that,_ I've got some questions for you." Blaise said, stopping Hermione right before the door. "And now that we're alone." He smirked his evil smirk that made him look five times uglier. "Why did you stop me, back in his room, from hearing what I wanted to know? What do you know about Snape?" Blaise whispered.

Hermione backed herself into the wall behind her and tried to yank her hand away, but he wouldn't give. His expression was becoming colder, and Hermione was starting to understand why no one crossed this dark boy.

"I only agreed to do it for the magical empathy spell… not to interrogate a teacher on his personal life. It's none of my business, nor is it any of yours." She whispered shortly, sounding much more confident than she felt.

"Really." He said, anger blazing in his eyes. "That's it? You just didn't want to be a busy body after all? What a good girl you are." His whisper was like silk. "You must hate your reputation getting ruined like this." He said, and raised their joined hands, the knuckles of which were white.

"You… you haven't given me cause to think you're a bad sort." Hermione's voice was losing its confidence.

"Yet." He snapped at her, making her flinch, then pulled her towards the door.

It opened with a creek and Blaise held it for her, increasing her unease.

Snape was sitting at the teacher's desk, marking papers when they came in.

Even though potions were no longer held in the dungeon, this new class room seemed just as cold and gloomy because Snape kept all the windows sealed shut and the fires out. It was even colder and darker at night. The atmosphere in addition to the company, Professor Snape, the hated potions master, and Blaise Zabini, the rumored poster child of the dark arts, made Hermione feel light headed with ill-ease.

She stumbled slightly as they walked to the front of the room, and started to shiver.

"You two are late." Snape hissed, when they stopped in front of his desk.

"My fault professor." Blaise said, then he licked his lips slowly.

Snape's lips thinned, just as Blaise knew they would. Hermione turned pink.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin." He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. Extracting a book he said: "You two will be brewing some medicinal supplies for Madame Pomfrey tonight." He flicked to the proper page and walked back over to them.

He handed Hermione the book, and she took it. It was opened onto the Pepper up potion. Snape was busy in his supply cabinet, extracting ingredients.

"I believe you know how to stand a cauldron up the right way, Mr. Zabini. You're mother is quite the accomplished potions mistress." Snape said to him with a sneer.

"She prefers the title of Potions Master, sir. She doesn't believe in differentiating the title for gender." Blaise replied icily as he set up one of the work tables.

"Indeed. You're mother has always had strong views on gender issues." Snape gave the boy a quelling look. "And what do you believe?" Snape asked, setting down their ingredients.

"Everyone has their place, sir. But it's natural for anyone to want more than that." Blaise answered quietly, his voice chilling the whole room.

"Do you want more than that, Mr. Zabini?" Snape asked as he set down the last item.

Blaise snorted.

"Yeah." He sneered, looking Snape dead in the eyes. "I want grown men to crawl to me on their hands and knees and kiss the hem of my robes." He cackled horribly.

Snape looked utterly furious and… -to Hermione's great surprise- embarrassed.

"It's little wonder you keep no one close Mr. Zabini, with that charming personality." Snape drawled. And Blaise chuckled some more.

"Don't need personality when you've got animal magnetism, ey sir?" Blaise sneered, throwing his arm around Hermione's shoulders, who by this time was ready to collapse with embarrassment.

Snape sneered: "Indeed." In reply. "Please proceed, you two."

And they set to work.

Hermione wondered at Blaise. One minute he was ready to see Snape dead, and looked at him with more hated than she'd ever seen in a person. And just now, he teased Snape, rather cruelly to be truthful, but almost like…. An old friend. In a way, his behavior was so odd, and in another way, it was just like him: hot and cold.

Last night, he was almost comforting as she cried with embarrassment, never teasing her about kissing him once. Now she felt like he held her hand _just_**to** embarrass her. He even made lewd innuendo whenever possible. Hot and cold, and yet at other times, completely blasé. She wondered if she'd ever understand him.

She shivered and drew her robes around her tighter. It was freezing in the school, especially this close to the winter holidays. Her teeth were starting to chatter.

They were making several batches of pepper up potion, all of which were simmering individually in three separate cauldrons. They would be ready soon. Hermione stayed close, attempting to absorb some heat from the fires that sparked beneath each pot.

"Cold?" Blaise asked, watching her rub her arms for warmth. She nodded at him. He looked at her inquisitively a little bit, making her turn away in embarrassment. She still couldn't believe she just pulled him down and kissed him, what must he think of her!

"Hermione…" He began slowly, a pensive look on his face. "You dated Viktor Krum right?"

That was the absolute last thing she ever expected him to ask. Her mouth fell open in shock. She closed it and nodded mutely.

"And you er… kissed him right?" He asked quietly. Hermione wondered if her face would ever return to its rightful color.

"Look, I don't know what you must think of me… but really, I don't… I mean, it isn't like I go around…" Blaise made an impatient noise. "Er.. yes… that is to say, I did.. we did. What… why?"

Blaise shook his head, looking down at the boiling cauldrons.

"It's probably nothing then."

"Why did you ask?" She didn't suffer that embarrassment for nothing!

He shook his head again.

"Look.. I wasn't paying attention when I … when we… I mean…" She attempted, but had no idea what she meant. Blaise smiled.

"I gathered that." He muttered, watching Snape to make sure they weren't being overheard.

"I just don't want you thinking…" she trailed off, not knowing what she wanted to say.

"Professor Snape?" The voice that spoke, did so without the warmth of familiarity.

Hermione turned around.

Standing in the doorway was Professor Sinistra.

Snape looked up, his expression very cold. "Professor Sinistra, may I help you?" His voice matched his face.

She frowned, looking at the floor and answered.

"Are you done with Blaise, I was wondering if I could borrow him for the remainder of the evening." She said to the floor.

"That's alright, I'll stay and finish my detention." Blaise said, his coldness outstripping them both.

"The potions are completed; they only have to boil another ten minutes." Snape said.

"But what kind of teacher would undermine the punishment system by compromising my detention time!" Blaise declared in an airy voice.

Snape raised one eyebrow and said: "I would. You may go." Blaise pursed his lips.

"No really, I'd rather wait for Hermione." He said, sitting on the lab stool resolutely.

"Zabini." Snape stood. "Get out." The two men glared at each other. Blaise stood and removed his robe.

For one wild moment, Hermione thought he was going to draw his wand to duel, but he simply threw the robe to her, and turned to walk out of the room.

He muttered a quick:"Later Hermione." And walked right past Professor Sinistra where she waited for him by the door. She left, shutting the door behind her, without another word.

Hermione was grateful for the robe.

_Hot._ She thought, smiling, as she put it on.

"Is it that cold in here?" Asked Snape lightly, as though he enjoyed inflicting that discomfort onto his students in addition to everything else.

"I'm feeling a bit ill, sir." She said, examining the Slytherin crest on Blaise's robe. This close to her skin, she noticed the faint smell of incense and old spice, and wondered what a pureblood wizard would be doing with muggle deodorant.

"This potion looks to be done, perhaps you could sample it Ms. Granger." Snape said, taking the first batch off the fire to cool.

Hermione nodded, and a few minutes later was presented with a steaming beaker of pepper up potion. She had no doubt it was perfect, and downed the mixture without preamble.

Instantly, her ears began to steam, and her face flushed as the potion took effect. Too quickly, it seemed, the warmth died and the steam stopped.

"Hmm… looks like a weak batch." Snape said, observing his student.

Hermione was feeling a bit dizzy and she assumed she was simply tired.

"May I go now professor?" She asked. Snape nodded, his full attention on the potion now.

Once out of the door, Hermione picked up her pace, desperate to be in bed as she had never been before. She dragged her feet, feeling more weary that she ever thought possible.

Her heart sprang with joy when she caught sight of the fat lady through her heavy eye lids.

"Welcome home." She intoned and walked in to the common room, staggering slightly.

"Granger." Malfoy said, approaching from the Slytherin section. "There is work to be done." He gestured to the stairs.

"I'm sorry… I can't tonight…" Hermione muttered, her vision going blurry. "I… I…" Malfoy was coming closer, looking at her with crossed brows.

He was saying something, but there was a rushing in her ears that drowned out his words, and Ginny's call for help.

Hermione collapsed, falling forward towards the blond Slytherin, whose body reacted again, just as it had done the first time, and caught the falling muggle born.

"Granger!" Malfoy snapped as she collapsed into his arms. He staggered against her dead weight for a moment, her head lolling against his chest. "What on earth…" He began bewildered.

Blaise Zabini took that moment to enter through the portrait hole. He took in the sight of Hermione slumped limply against Draco Malfoy, with increasingly widening eyes.

"What happened?" He asked, joining the swelling group around the blond boy and unconscious girl. "Back up!" Blaise snapped at her friends, who obeyed immediately.

Blaise felt her forehead.

"She's burning up." He declared to the silent common room. "Come on." Blaise said to the other, and he and Malfoy maneuvered Hermione over to one of the vacated couches.

"What's wrong with her?" asked a first year in concern.

Blaise was pulling her shirt from her waist band to reveal her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Asked Draco, horrified at having Granger's head in his lap, and thus contributing to this exploitation. Blaise didn't answer, but pulled her waist band a little lower to reveal more of her belly. There, beneath her belly button, were several rose colored spots.

Draco gasped, as did Ginny and Ron, who were looking on.

"That isn't!" Ginny moaned worriedly.

"Hepatyphus." Blaise confirmed coldly, pulling Hermione's shirt down.

All the Slyherins, and some of the Gryffindors gasped and backed away.

"But she's muggle born!" Said Madeline. "She should've gotten it ages ago."

"That's a myth!" Snapped Blaise. "You don't get Hepatypus from muggles, you get it from people who have it, or have had it."

Blaise pulled out his wand and tapped the robe she was wearing.

Draco only then noticed it was a Slytherin boy's robe, and belatedly noticed that Blaise was not wearing his robe. He felt the robe instantly grow warm with the charm.

"Rubbish." Pansy said. "Everyone knows you get Hepatyphus from muggles."

"How can muggles carry a disease that only affects wizards! Just cause muggles were the one that discovered diseases like Typhoid fever, doesn't mean they are the cause or carriers of said diseases. No.." Blaise said, kneeling next to the couch at the end Malfoy was perched on and continued: "She got it from me."

"From you?" Harry asked, not understanding. Harry had heard of Typhoid fever, but never of Hepatyphus.

"I'm a carrier, I got it as a kid. Speaking of which…." Blaise turned towards Harry. "Don't come near her or touch her Potter.. you and other muggle borns have never gotten Hepatyphus and are especially susceptible. It's killed plenty of wizard babies, and is perfectly capable of killing adults." He added.

"But how it quickened this fast when…" Blaise was looking pensive as he observed Hermione's eyes though lids he had raised. "Unless!" Blaise snapped, making Draco start.

Blaise bent low over Hermione's face, hesitated -- then tasted her lips with his own.

"Are you mad!" Yelled Draco. He immediately pulled Hermione into a protective embrace -away from Blaise. "You can't kiss an unconscious girl! Even _you_ should have some decency…" He stopped when Blaise's wand was nearly shoved up his left nostril.

"Watch it Malfoy!" Blaise thundered, getting to his feet. "I was just confirming…" he began looking murderous. "Stupid man, he should've checked first!" He raged.

"What are you on about!" Ginny wailed.

"Snape gave her pepper up potion without checking for hepatyphus first, we'll be lucky if she doesn't die now." Blaise snapped.

"What!" Harry ejaculated. "What do you mean, die!"

Ron and Ginny were white beneath their freckles.

"Hepatyphus feeds off magic, that's why only wizards get it and muggles can't carry it… It's also the reason you can't treat hepatyphus with potions or healing spells, because it'll just make the disease stronger! Giving someone pepper up is as good as sealing their fate."

Blaise turned to Draco, whose eyes were wide as he looked down at Hermione, like she'd just died in his arms. "Malfoy!" Blaise snapped. "Get up, we've got work to do."

Lips tightening in distaste, Draco hoisted Hermione up in a cradle – not an easy task, mind you - and walked over to the portrait hole. Blaise held the portrait open for him. Ginny followed them out.

Belatedly, Harry realized his friend was dying and ran after the group, closely followed by Ron, who seemed just as shocked as Harry was.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**Before you get mad: ** This isn't a cliff hanger per-se… I can't kill off the second most important character! So, you know it'll be alright.

**Reviewers: **

**Bzhgdm: **Thanks. Yes, I'm trying to use fiction to convey my convoluted sense of morality to the masses. There is going to be a whole lot more of that, so I'm glad you like it.

**Nathonea:** Very perceptive… Yes, there was foreshadowing in that chapter galore… but surprisingly enough, it wasn't for Ron or Ginny, but for Harry and Draco.

**True2u: **I don't believe anything or anyone is truly evil, no do I believe in altruism… but rather people are born indiscriminate to either opposite, and are given a set of circumstances in life, as well as a genetic disposition, towards one end or the other…In the end they must choose. Blaise is a perfect example of that fact: A pureblood raised in a dark art practicing family, but is he evil or good? That's a value judgement the readers will have to make.. but it's unfair to group anyone in that kind of "good" or "bad" box, like Muslims in post 9-11 american have been labeled. Speaking of:

I wonder what made you think I was muslim? You know, only 20 of muslims are arab… so what gave it away?

As for Kyer, I'm over it… but I'll leave it up just the same. It isn't a great story after all.

Thanks for the long review.

**Ammiva: **As Mama used to say "Stupid is a stupid does." I'm a bit of a behaviorist (raised on skinner) so I must say that I agree with you. A person is as they behave, and in that way, the choices they make, make them who they are. Blaise (see true's response above) is going to exemplify how I feel about that more and more.

You are correct about Blaise's interest in Snape, and I hope I did an alright job of revealing more about that in this chapter, however, he still has another reason to care about Sinistra. And yes, Draco was part of the incident at 10 and **hint hint **That incident was tied to Blaise's "special powers."

Winterbreak is just for studies, I'll keep going with this story and update more often (if I can ever get over this writer's block)

**Veryimpressedreader: **I still don't think it's the best. The best story I ever read on FF is "hinge of fate" by Ramos. (A SS/HG story) Anyway. Your email was cut off (FF doesn't like anything dot com) so I couldn't email you. That card thing was actually a quote from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry doesn't get any cards cause dobby is blocking his mail. I actually don't celebrate birthdays, cause I can't every remember when mine or anyone else's is. LOL, my husband had to remind me it was my birthday that day.

Thanks for appreciating "Honeybee." There is actually a significance to that name, that will be revealed in the sequel to this book.

Thanks too for the advice on writer's block, it genuinely helped me, but I'm afraid I'm just having a lapse in concentration on this, and in my studies. We'll see how I fare.

Finally, thanks for reviewing summer days, terrible story that it is.

**Yokai: ** Blaise has a large part to play, but more in the sequel to this book that this on in particular.

**Bludiamond: **Thanks for the loyalty. Yes, my belief in the justice of the universe crept up big time in that past chapter.

**Candygoddess:** Gah, don't become infatuated with Blaise! I based him off myself! Lol! Thanks for the compliment tho… I am rather evil and crazy. As for Harry kissing Hermione, I don't see that happening in cards. However, you were DEAD ON with Hermione crying! Wow, I didn't realize I'd turned her into such a PANSY. I've since gone through a removed any unnecessary crying from the future chapters. Thank you so much for the critique. And don't worry, more sing a longs are coming!

**DizzyDragon:** Thank you. No, I don't imagine I'll ever be good enough to publish professionally, but I appreciate the flattery. It will be a Draco/Hermione story when it's all said and done, tho I must admit I prefer writing the Blaise/Hermione parts.

**Ehlonna: **The hint was Blaise's attempted murder at age 10 and his connection to snape.. in addition to some foreshadowing. Thanks, I appreciate thinkers… and that was definitely the point.

**Ravens-Jade: **MAJOR HINT: honeybee's future role has to do with the ingredients in the Synergy potion and her connection to Voldemort. I thought I clarified the "product of their environment" argument in chapter ten, however, when Harry realized that people's choices are what make them what they are, despite what ever happened to them in the past. I will finish this story, thanks and keep reviewing!

**Star-Angel23: **Yes, I hate those stories where Pansy is some idiot and Crabb and Goyle do nothing but eat and grunt. Everyone's got a personality, even if they are stupid. I always thought that Pansy would have to be pretty clever to ruin Hermione's name through witchweekly, and I wanted to bring out the devious mind I'd always taken her for. You'll see more of that in chapter thirteen. Keep reviewing!

**NEvermind2, Rulerofthedisenchantedforest, Vidagami, Gaia-moore, unspotted giraffe, Sweetytweety013, harrys lover, caraboo, fallen angel of hell, Sw-in-no-cence, Soydream, DracoMalfoyishot888, and Xelendhwenx: **Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes, and reviews, I really appreciate it. Please continue to review, your loyalty inspires me!

**Want a nice long reply? HIT REVIEW! **


	12. The orb of the elements

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so late in coming, I had finals! 19 credits in my senior semester, you know how it is! I had this massive programming project (did you ever doubt I was a Computer programmer, I mean come on! Talk about a nerd!) not to mention a massive bout of depression coupled with a lack of any sort of motivation, and a complete shut down of my ability to write creatively. So… you know what that means! Give my self esteem a boost… my ego a stroke or two…and REVIEW!

**Chapter Twelve: The orb of elements**

"Why don't you carry her then Zabini, Granger is no pixy!"

"Don't you dare drop her Malfoy!"

"This is all your fault anyhow, Malfoy, if you hadn't made her go she would've never…"

"Shut up, we're here!"

Madame Pomfrey jumped up from her evening cup of tea as she heard the shouts that warned her of trouble about to walk into her ward, and made her way to the door.

"What on earth!" She yelled, as a strange mix of students burst through the door to the hospital wing.

Draco Malfoy carrying Hermione Granger, followed by Blaise Zabini, Ginny and Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson. They all tumbled into the hospital wing in their hurry.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey yelled.

"Hepatyphus… Snape gave her Pepper up potion…" Blaise said quickly, helping Malfoy and Ron put Hermione on a bed.

"He what!" She screamed, furious. "Idiot man!" Pomfrey yelled as she bustled over to Hermione and checked her vitals with a flick of her wand. "What else has she had today?" She asked sharply.

"Nothing to eat, just a bit of tea this morning and some juice at lunch. I don't know if she had anything at dinner." Ginny supplied sullenly.

With a sharp flick of her wand, Madame Pomfrey conjured a bucket.

"Water, cold, quickly. No magic." Pomfrey demanded.

Ginny snapped to it, running to the bathroom and coming back seconds later with the bucket full of ice cold water. As soon as the nurse had it in her hands, she dumped the lot onto Hermione, who screamed and sat bolt up right with shock.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, do try to stay with us, Ms. Granger." Pomfrey said, placing the bucket onto Hermione's lap. "Sorry about this dear." The nurse added, before shoving her finger down Hermione's throat. Immediately Hermione started to gag.

"Hey!" snapped Harry, but Blaise held him back, shaking his head.

The nurse only removed her hand when Hermione keeled over and retched into the awaiting bucket in her lap.

"Ew." Pansy said, her nose scrunched up in disgust.

Ginny stepped forward and pulled Hermione's dripping wet hair out of her face and into a quick pony tail.

"Again." Madam Pomfrey said, pulling Hermione's head up by the newly gathered pony tail, and shoving her finger down the poor girl's throat. Again Hermione gaged and retched, and only after a third try where nothing came up, did the nurse seem satisfied.

Madame Pomfrey bustled over to the bathroom, to do away with the onerous bucket.

Hermione fell back against the bed, utterly spent.

Ginny left her side for a moment to retrieve a wet cloth from the bathroom. She started cleaning Hermione's face with it and tutting, just like her mother did.

"Are you alright Hermione?" Ron asked worriedly.

"No." Her voice was very hoarse.

By the time Madame Pomfrey returned, Hermione was shaking violently with chill.

"Let's get you out of those clothes." Poppy said, then turned pointedly to the boys. All of them went slightly pink and backed away.

Ron and Harry, having had lots of experience with the hospital wing, retrieved the privacy blinds from the back of the ward and placed them around Hermione's bed. They then joined the other two boys, on the other side of the blinds, leaving Pansy, Ginny, and Madame Pomfrey to peel Hermione's sopping wet clothes off of her.

Pansy appeared a few minutes later, holding a robe in her hand and wearing a smirk.

"This yours Zabini?" She asked lightly, her eyes filled with mirth. He chose to give her a cold look, rather than answer her.

Pansy tossed it to him, then proceeded to the back of the ward where a dresser held the hospital pajamas. She grabbed a pair and went back through the curtains, where, from the sound of it, Ginny was having some difficulty getting Hermione's shirt off.

Ten minutes later, Ginny pulled back the curtain closest to the boys and motioned for them to approach.

Madame Pomfrey was piling blankets upon blankets on top of Hermione, who was shivering uncontrollably now.

"Hypothermia…." The nurse sniffed. "If only she hadn't taken that potion! It's made everything ten times worse."

Draco made an impatient noise.

"Will Hermione be alright Madame Pomfrey?" Ron asked.

The nurse didn't answer, but simply turned away, hiding a grave look.

"Weasley." Blaise said softly, looking at Ginny. "You've had hepatyphus?"

Ginny nodded, never taking her eyes off Hermione.

"Would you be willing to second Granger?" Blaise asked seriously.

Madame Pomfrey turned around sharply.

"There will be none of that!" she snapped at Blaise. "I absolutely forbid it. Put such thoughts out of your mind." She told him and then looked pointedly at Ginny.

"What does that mean, second her?" Harry asked, looking at Blaise.

"It's when you take on the disease for yourself." Blaise answered. "As a survivor of hepatyphus, Weasley has an immunity, and is better equipped to fight the disease than Hermione, who has no immunity and who has taken a magical potion which is sure to feed the disease."

"A better name for it is suicide. The amount of magical energy required to second someone, no… it isn't possible. Ms. Granger will have to fight this battle herself." The nurse snapped. "Now, if you are all quite finished, I can see to my patient. Please leave so she can get some rest."

"I'm not leaving till I know Hermione will be alright." Harry snapped, then turned to Blaise. "What has to happen, when you second someone?"

"You heard Madame Pomfrey." Croaked Hermione, half conscious, from the bed. She attempted to smile at all of them. "Thank you… I'll be alright."

"Sleep Ms. Granger." Madame Pomfrey said, pulling the sheets right up to her chin, and then turning to the group. "Out." Her voice was stern.

Harry and Ron didn't budge.

"Out!" Madame Pomfrey's voice was more insistent. "She needs rest!"

The only response Harry gave, was to plant his feet and fold his arms over his chest resolutely.

"Mr. Potter, who is the medical professional here, you or I? Please stop being so insolent and trust me to see to my patient. You may rest assured we'll do everything in our power…. **Everything**… to see Ms. Granger healthy." Harry's resolution cracked a bit, but he didn't move. "Could you please fetch Professor McGonagall for me?"

Harry sighed, and looked over at Hermione. Again, she attempted a weak smile, and nodded at him. Harry nodded back and turned around.

After a regretful "Feel better Hermione." Ron and Ginny followed.

Blaise and Draco were looking at each other, Pansy noticed, as though having a silent conversation. Draco nodded at Blaise, and turned to Hermione, frowning.

"Don't die, mudblood." Draco muttered, more like a threat than a wish, and strode from the room, Pansy in toe.

"Really!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed at hearing such vulgar language. "The pet names friends use today!" Blaise snorted at the woman's obvious misunderstanding.

"I want you out as well Mr. Zabini." Pomfrey said, her tone a bit softer now.

Blaise's new social life was the largest topic of the recent staff meeting, and while most of the staff were despondent to hear of his girlfriend, Madame Pomfrey thought it would create a productive change in the boy.

Blaise stepped forward and looked down at the brunette girl.

"I'm sorry about this Hermione, it's all my fault." Her lips were blue and her cheeks were slightly green, it didn't look as if she'd last the night. Even so, she gave a small smile.

"My fault." She insisted weakly.

"We'll see." He replied enigmatically, and left the ward.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What are we going to do Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked mournfully.

The hospital wing was unnaturally silent for the amount of people in it. The moon light crept through the tall glass windows, illuminating a shivering figure, curled beneath a dozen thick blankets. A plastic tube, the like of which was never seen at Hogwarts, was trailing from the needle in her arm, to a bag of liquid hanging from a pole. An intense feeling of cold prevented her from sleeping properly, although she'd never felt more tired in her life.

Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sinistra, and Dumbledore, in addition to Madame Pomfrey were looking down on the brightest student in school, now wasting away in the bed before them. The teachers were behind a magical screen which shielded them from being heard or seen, so as not to disturb the student in question.

"There is little that can be done at this point. Hepatyphus is not something that can be battled through normal means. Not even phoenix tears can help Ms. Granger at this point. Poppy, have you administered the muggle anti-biotic?"

"Yes sir, and she's getting intravenous penicillin, glucose, and potassium chloride, the standard muggle cure for Typhoid fever. The viral strain which causes Typhoid is the closest muggle equivalent to Hepatyphus, but even if this was simply normal Typhoid or scarlet fever… the penicillin takes three days to take effect. I doubt Ms. Granger makes it that long."

"I will pose as the second." Snape declared, taking everyone by surprise.

"You'll what!" ejaculated Professor McGonagall. "You'll do no such thing! If anyone of us will act the as second, it will be me!"

"You were not the foolish idiot who administered Pepper up potion, knowing full well that Ms. Granger had just been in contact with a carrier of the disease. No, I alone claim responsibility for her current state, and I alone will see to curing her."

"I do not think that will be necessary." Dumbledore was smiling, his eyes twinkling, as he surveyed the door to the hospital wing.

The other teachers directed their attention to the door, which seemed to be standing open of its own accord.

"Stupid boy, I told him already…" Madame Pomfrey began but fell silent when Blaise Zabini materialized from thin air.

Every teacher was struck dumb with shock.

Blaise walked quietly across the hospital wing, past Hermione's bed and all the way to the opposite wall where a door stood, leading to Madame Pomfrey's office and personal quarters. Blaise tapped the door several times with his wand, locking it and warding it against sound.

He turned around and called:

"All clear."

The door to the hospital wing, which had remained opened of its own accord after Blaise entered, opened wider now.

The teachers listened as several pairs of feet made their way into the wing, shutting the door quietly behind them.

With a flourish of silvery material, Harry Potter, Ron Weasely and Draco Malfoy appeared from beneath the invisibility cloak. None of the new comers could see nor hear the teachers, who were still hidden behind the screen.

"What on earth!" Snape hissed, his mouth open in disbelief.

The three boys took several steps away from each other, having stood far too close to hide under the cloak.

Harry went to the door they'd just walked through and tapped it to silence and lock it just as Blaise had done.

Ron and Draco made their way to the center most bed on the right side of the ward, where Hermione Granger lay, illuminated by the moon light.

"Curiouser and Curiouser." Professor McGonogol said, eyeing the frown on the blond boy's face.

"What is that thing?" Draco drawled, pointing to the bag of clear liquid hanging from the pole.

"Probably some type of wash." Blaise said, joining the others. "To clear the tube of the antibiotics."

"Sorry?" Asked Ron.

"Antibiotics are used to cure diseases, like scarlet fever." Harry supplied, completing the group circled around the sick girl.

"Potter shouldn't be in here, he could get sick from her." Madame Pomfrey admonished. "We need to put a stop to this, what ever they are planning to do."

Dumbledore smiled.

"I do not think they plan to use one of them as a second. Unless I am very much mistaken, they have found another way to cure Ms. Granger." He replied, giving the other teachers a look that said quite plainly: "Do not interfere."

"Where does the pipe go?" Malfoy said, bending in to examine the clear plastic tube, which disappeared under the many blankets covering Hermione.

"Into her arm, I expect." Harry answered.

"What!" Draco and Ron exclaimed at once, then they glared at each other with hatred.

"Some sort of muggle torture?" Muttered Malfoy, now eyeing the intravenous with disgust.

"It's a better cure than what wizards can do, and under normal circumstances would help a great deal.. but because of that potion…" Blaise trailed off, and shrugged.

"Alright, let's get on with it… I don't have all night, and I'm not trying to get caught. If people found out I was helping to save Granger.. AGAIN, I think I'd die from the shame." Malfoy drawled.

"I'll be sure to tell everyone, then." Ron spat. "You didn't have to come at all!"

Malfoy made an impatient noise.

"You're the one who wouldn't let me ask your sister instead." Blaise muttered angrily. He didn't like Malfoy being here anymore than Ron liked it.

"I'm not letting my little sister perform the dark arts!" Ron spat, folding his arms over his chest. "And it wasn't as if we had to beg him…" Ron pointed to Malfoy and added, rather nastily: "Seemed rather eager to me."

"I need to make sure Granger stays alive until she pays me back…. I didn't suffer all that embarrassment the first time not to get anything for my trouble. Besides, what she's got to do is important." Draco explained, as though Ron were a very thick child.

Ron's hands curled into fists and he approached Draco menacingly.

"You'd better not call on that life debt, cause you'll need Hermione to save you from me." He promised.

"If you two are going to fight, do it out side so we can get on with it." Blaise said in a bored tone.

"Ron, we're here for Hermione." Harry reminded his friend, though in truth, he'd like nothing more than to pound Malfoy's face in. Still, Blaise said they needed four people, and Ron flatly refused to let Ginny perform the spell, so Malfoy was their only option.

Ron backed down, but the redness did not leave his face or ears.

"I think we should move the bed to the center of the room, so we've got more space. " Blaise advised, looking around critically.

Ron took hold of the bed and started to pull it, but the wheels wouldn't turn.

Malfoy sighed, rolling his eyes, and pressed the petal on the side that would lift the bed's brake. The wheels sprang into movement, and Ron nearly fell over from the suddenness of it.

"Malfoy!" Harry snapped, but stopped after receiving an admonitory glare from Blaise.

Ron straightened, his whole head flaming red now with embarrassment and anger.

Malfoy replaced the brake pedal once the bed had been positioned and stood back, smirking in triumph.

Blaise swung his school bag off his back and started removing items from it. First, he brought out a clear glass sphere, the size of a marble. Next, he took out a small pyramid, made from granite. After that he took out a stack of cards, twice as long as playing cards, with Asian hieroglyphs on each leaf; He removed four cards from the stack and replaced the rest in his bag. Finally he removed a thick and old-looking book, with a worn black leather cover, and yellowing frayed pages.

Blaise straightened up, holding only the glass sphere in his hand, and leaving the other items on the floor. With it, he approached the bed.

Hermione was sleeping fitfully. She had stopped shivering- never a good sign when it came to hypothermia- and was looking distinctly blue in the moon light. She was curled into a fetal position on her right side, looking like a large and shapeless lump under all the blankets.

Blaise knew he needed her in the alter position, on her back. He frowned, reluctant to wake her. He would much rather she never knew he took part in this effort. He sighed and reached down to wake her.

"Hermione." He said, shaking her shoulder lightly.

"What are you waking her up for?" hissed Malfoy, annoyed. He too didn't want her knowing he had had a hand in it.

But Hermione was moaning faintly and opening her eyes.

"Blaise?" Her voice was horse, and her lips were cracked.

"Turn onto your back." Blaise whispered, and helped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Hermione attempted, then coughed a little weakly. Ron appeared with a glass of water, and helped Hermione sip a little.

"Thanks." She smiled, still mostly asleep.

"Hermione, you've got to stay on your back, as still as you can, alright?" Blaise said.

He then placed the glass sphere on top of the blankets, right over her heart.

"What…"

"Shh…. You'll see." He said, and walked back to his pile of things.

Blaise bent to retrieve the book. He opened it and flicked to the right page.

"Right." He said, his brows creasing in thought. "The four points pyramid has to go on the floor right beneath the spot we want the energy to be concentrated on. So, it should go on the floor under the bed, right under Hermione's heart." Blaise said and indicated that Harry should pick up and place the pyramid in its proper place.

Harry did so, placing it directly beneath Hermione's heart, with Ron's help in its positioning.

As soon as Harry's hands left the pyramid, it glowed and started to spin on the floor. It came to an abrupt halt, and rays of blue light burst from each of the five points. The rays continued through solid objects, pointing out the four directions, North, South, East and West, and the final ray went straight up, through the bed and right through Hermione's heart. The ray stopped at the sphere on her chest, but caused the sphere to float upwards, several feet above the half-conscious girl.

"Perfect." Blaise said, bending down to retrieve the four cards. "Each of you, take one of these and lay it on the floor at a precise distance from the pyramid, to form a perfect square." Blaise advised, keeping one card for himself, and handing out the other three.

The four boys laid a card on the floor, precisely five feet from the granite pyramid, at exactly the same time. When the rays of light touched the cards, they bended and joined at the glass sphere precisely five feet high, right above Hermione's heart. The rays formed a pyramid of blue light.

"What is this, Albus, what are they doing?" McGonagall asked suspiciously. "It isn't any thing…" she gulped. "Dark… is it?"

"Not yet, it isn't." Snape replied, but he was eyeing the book in Zabini's hand critically, knowing it held nothing of the light in its pages.

Each boy took his position at each corner of the pyramid. Blaise stood at the north corner, Harry at the south, Draco at the east, and Ron at the west.

"Hermione, you have to stay still, as still as you can. Don't talk at all now. It'll all be over soon." Blaise advised seriously.

She didn't respond, nor did she move.

"Draw your wands." Blaise ordered, and they all took out their wands. Following Blaise's lead, they pointed their wands to the apex of the pyramid of light, where the clear marble was connecting the five rays.

Blaise looked down at the book in his free left hand.

"Four corners, four elements, four powers do we call." Blaise intoned slowly.

"Four powers to gather, return to us from myth." Ron said, concentrating on the orb.

Wind appeared from no where, gathering in a spinning vortex around the boys, causing papers and cotton swabs to take flight.

"Four forces of nature, on this orb befall." Harry said.

"Four elements, join and form a fifth." Draco said, slightly bitterly. "Seiryu of water, bringer of life."

"Gaea of earth, nurturer of fertility." Harry said.

"Sylphi of wind, protector of growth and change." Ron's face was contorted in determination.

"Hyuri of fire, proctor of destruction and death." Blaise said, his eyes as blank as his voice.

The four wands were now glowing, red, yellow, green, and blue, a color for each element. The sphere at the apex of the pyramid was now glowing white.

"An amulet, imbued with the power of the elements?" Asked Professor Sinistra. "But how will that help?" She was completely perplexed, as were the other teachers.

Only Dumbledore continued to smile knowingly, his half-moon spectacles reflecting the light from the glowing orb.

The wind in the room picked up, currents of air glowing different colors as the tendrils of magic gathered inside the chosen vessel, the orb above Hermione's heart.

Hermione herself, was feeling close to vomiting again. She was not feeling remotely cold anymore, but had started to sweat profusely under all the blankets. She wanted to remove them, but vaguely remembered Blaise telling her to stay as still as she could. But the light coursing through her chest was filling her body with sickness and heat, and furthered her desire to retch. A dull ache was also gathering at every inch of her body, growing in pitch and sharpness. She tried to stifle a moan.

"Just a little more now!" Blaise told them all, watching Hermione's face contorting with discomfort. "It's going to hurt, but it'll be alright, just bear with it." Blaise called through the wind.

But the pain was becoming more than she could bear. White hot knives were piercing every inch of her flesh, making her eyes water, and causing her to shriek against her will.

"It hurts!" She cried, her back arching involuntarily, through a muscle spasm.

"Blaise, we've got to stop it!" Ron called, his eyes wide. "It'll kill her."

"No! Keep going, don't stop!" Blaise threatened.

"Albus! We must stop this, quickly!" Shrieked Madame Pomfrey. "She'll die!"

McGonagall was tearing up.

"No! stay where you are. Mr. Zabini knows what he is doing." Dumbledore ordered sharply.

Small, faint dots of red light, like tiny bits of glitter, were appearing on Hermione's skin and floating upwards towards the orb above. Once the red glitter touched the orb, it would sink through the glass to rest in the center.

Hermione was shrieking full out now, crying in pain, her back arched as she struggled to get away from the light penetrating her chest. More and more bits of red glitter were appearing on her skin and floating up to the orb, so that it was starting to glow red instead of white.

"They are luring the hepatyphus out of her by baiting it with a stronger magical power: the amulet!" Snape yelled, above the roar of wind. He was completely amazed, and more than a little impressed at the ingenuity of the plan.

"That red light…then!" Sinistra gasped, realizing the implications.

"Blood." Snape confirmed with a wry smiled. "Dark arts indeed."

"Almost!" Blaise yelled. "Just a little more!"

The red glitter was thinning out now, as the magic in the room grew to such a pitch that the windows rattled from the wind and power.

Soon, the last three sparkling bits of red glitter left Hermione's body and made their way towards the orb. Before they reached it, Blaise yelled:

"NOW!" And pulled his wand away. The others pulled back, and the orb at the apex of the pyramid of light issued a shockwave as the tendrils of light broke apart. The three stray particles of red-glitter were forced back down to join the body it had just left.

The wind which had gathered around the orb was forced outwards as the magic they'd summoned rushed back to equilibrium, shattering the glass windows of the ward, and any other breakables in ten foot radius.

The wind died away right after that, and when the din quieted and the glass settled, the ward was completely silent.

Harry looked around in shock, unable to believe what had just happened.

Shards of glass covered all the floor and beds on the right side of the room where the windows had shattered. Bits of parchment littered the floor, along with other debris the magical wind had scattered. Moon light still shone through the windows, now glassless, onto Hermione.

Hermione herself was unconscious again, completely spent from the exertion of expelling the disease.

"You stopped the spell before we'd trapped all of it." Draco said quietly. "Why?"

"I want her to have an immunity. She can't have one if she doesn't beat the disease with her own body…" Blaise replied, just as quietly. He stepped forward so he was next to the bed.

The tiny orb was sitting on the bed covers, giving off a faint red glow. Bits of gold churned inside the red-liquid center, trying to break free.

Blaise reached out a hand, but retracted it as though burned.

"It's hot." He said, shaking his hand.

"98.6 degrees, I expect." Harry added.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked.

"Temperature of the body." Blaise said before turning around and examining the ward with a frown.

The large windows that took up the entire right wall of the ward up to the ceiling were glass-less. Parchment, towels, and other types of debris were scattered among the tiny shards of glass that blanketed in the floor in little sparkling mounds. The privacy screens the girls had used to change Hermione had been thrown to the floor in the heavy gale, and sat broken and torn. In short, the ward was completely wrecked.

"Let's get this placed cleaned up, before Pomfrey tries to come in and has our heads." Harry advised, and he and Ron set to work.

Blaise was busy picking up the artifacts used in the spell, so only the teachers noticed the way Draco Malfoy was now inspecting Hermione, to make sure what they had done had worked.

He belt low over her, examining the color of her cheeks and checking her pulse. He put a hand over her nose to check if her breathing was even and steady. Looking satisfied with the result of his inspection, Draco lifted the bed's break and set it into its proper spot. Then, with a wave of his wand, he set the privacy screens to rights, and positioned them around her bed as they had been before. The two were now relatively screened from the others, but he still looked around to make sure the others were not observing him.

Draco looked down onto the sleeping girl's face. Something about seeing her there, helpless and unconscious, made him extremely uncomfortable. He would never admit to feeling guilty about her current situation. It was, after all, her decision to interrupt Blaise and wake Snape. So what, if he hadn't added enough wormwood to keep Snape asleep, as the potion was supposed to….. if she had just been discrete none of this would have happened.

Draco frowned. So much for his first great attempt at heroism and achieving glory! Granger just had to ruin everything for him by laying there and looking so much like she had that night they'd brought her back from the ministry at the end of last term… so… so close to death. Unable to keep his eyes on her face, Draco turned his attention to the orb, still sitting on the sheets above Hermione's heart and glowing faintly.

The teachers looked on as Draco drew his wand and tapped the orb. He then reached down and picked up what looked like a loop of silver. At the end of the loop, attached by a silver claw shaped like a dragon's foot, was the orb.

"A necklace?" McGonagall asked, perplexedly.

"That orb was imbued with the power of the elements… hepatyphus or not, it remains a powerful magical amulet." Snape said.

Draco unclasped the silver chain, and- hesitating as he made sure no one was watching him for a third time- fastened the chain around the sleeping girl's neck.

"This doesn't mean anything." He whispered as he did so. "I'm not taking responsibility for how you are now, it's your fault you almost got caught. It's your fault you're like this." He continued determinedly. His face bore a hard expression, but softened as she continued to sleep. "It's your damn fault… you stupid mudblood." But there was no conviction in his voice. "Don't get hurt again." He threatened, then –frowning- he joined the others to pick up the ward.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And now, the reviews:

**TO EVERYONE:** Some people have expressed an Interest in a Blaise/Hermione story. This is going to be Draco/Hermione… but your reviews got me thinking about writing a Blaise/Hermione story. I've written an outline.. but I want to know first how many people would be interested in reading it.. Most people don't like Character/OC stories. Leave me a review and let me know, please!

**Nevermind: **Sorry, not much romance till near the end of the story. This book is more about a romantic confusion. In the sequel (The Devil's Respite) the romance will be more concrete. Thanks for the loyalty, however. Appreciate it.

**Lady Avi: **Yes I'll finish. Sorry I can't write much faster, I'm too paranoid over errors and I don't have a beta.

**Cuznhotie: **I wasn't sure what to do about that part… (Draco protecting Hermione) it just seemed so lame, but it was necessary. I want it to be clear that Draco has a saving people thing too… that he too wants to be a hero...I suppose the soppiness was unavoidable. Thanks for the review.

**The damaged rose: **Sorry, your email was cut off… if you've got it listed under your bio I'll try to give you a ring. Yes I have major writers block. I know what I want to happen, the outline for this story, and it's sequel are completely written out, but I'm just lacking in the ability to write. Dialog is not my strong suit.. and that's the part I'm on. I'm glad you like Blaise… and actually, he is a Mary Sue, because I based him off of myself, somewhat. People are always telling me I'm so evil and sarcastic and difficult to know and become close too… I thought I'd make a pretty cool villain, or if not, an excellent Slytherin. (That's the house I was sorted into.) BTW, this is a Draco/Hermione story.

**Dizzy dragon: ** I know! I hate how nice Draco is being.. especially in this chapter, what a ponce! I tried to make him mean, but I need him to do some OOC things to further the plot. Don't worry, he'll go back to being a ass in later chapters. Make sure to keep me in line, and don't let me write the characters all wrong!

**Sunday morning: **Thank you for three reviews. I try.

**Swoosh: **Thanks, I try. I spent a while in ESL, believe it or not, and was very frustrated with my lack of ability to communicate with people.. I feel that being able to articulate yourself well is the most important ability one must master. As my husband likes to quote: "Say what you say." (eminem) Try taking IB English, it really really helps with the vocab.

**Star angel: ** Actually, I abhor TV with all my heart and soul. So no, I've never considered it. I have considered writing fiction, or screen plays for films. But my sister is a film producer in Rotterdam, and everyone says I'm just like her and it's really annoying being compared to her all the time, so instead I'm a professional computer nerd and I write on the side. That's way more info than you were hoping for isn't it.

**Kate-felton**: sorry, you'll have to hold out longer for romance. Sorry for the late update too.

**Shoe-malfoy: **WOW! Thanks so much for pointing that out! As soon as I read your review I corrected it. Keep me in line with reviews, right?!

**Elizabeth: **It's hardly as exciting or well written as the sixth book. I really hope the ending of this one isn't as anti-climactic, at least. Thanks for the review, it really made me feel better, sorry the update took me so long.

**Ehlonna, Harrys lover, pinkchiklet, hand of vengeance, fallen angel of hell, candygoddess, xeledhwenx, Bludiamond, Sarah143 **THANK YOU!!!!


	13. Love and Lifedebt

AN: sorry for the long pause. I've still got major writers block, and adding the conflict between Blaise and Draco took more out of me that I thought it would. Ok, I've gotten some good feedback on the Blaise/Hermione story I was planning, so I will be including a teaser chapter from that story in this one as soon as I get around to writing it.

As for this story, in case you all are wondering, it is the first book in a set of three. The next book in the series will be titled "**the devil's respite**" and will follow the crew into their seventh year. It will focus more on Harry and Voldemort and less on romance. I will also try including a teaser for that story in this one. The third book, "**Bastard**" takes place ten years later. I can't say anything else about it cause it'll give away the plot, but if anyone is interested in helping me write these three books, I'm looking for some help, either in the form of a co-writer or beta. Leave me a review with your email address if you are interested.

**Readers**, please comment on: Are the characters OOC? Are they developing in a cliché or erratic manner? Is the progress of the romance believable? Am I keeping it too dramatic? (I wanted this chapter to be more light hearted, especially towards the end) let me know!

**Chapter Thirteen: Love and Life debt**

Hermione was released the following Wednesday. She woke that morning, and, after a thorough examination by Madame Pomfrey, was allowed to leave. She was glad to be able to go, but was the dreading reentrance into normal life for one reason: It would mean having to face Draco Malfoy, after he'd saved her, AGAIN. Not only that….

She contemplated the necklace sitting beneath her blouse as she walked towards the great hall. When she first discovered it Sunday morning, glowing faintly and warm against her chest, Harry and Ron had been with her, and inquired after the necklace right after they asked about her health. At the time, she'd thought it was Blaise's doing and told them so. She made a mental note to thank him the next time she saw him.

However, when Blaise had turned up Monday during lunch time, he took in the sight of the necklace perplexedly. The look on his face made her pause with "thank you" on the tip of her tongue. He asked her if she had thought of making the amulet a necklace, and commended her on the good idea. So, it wasn't Blaise, and it certainly hadn't been Harry or Ron. That only left one person.

Hermione stood in the entrance hall hesitating, a blush creeping up on her face. _Why had he done it?_ She wondered. It wasn't as though the deed was a great feat. The spells were simply enough, but it was simply that he had bothered at all. She shook her head.

Steeling herself mentally, she took a deep breath, and walked into the great hall.

The Gryffindor table broke into applause.

Harry and Ron jumped up immediately and walked over to her.

"Hermione, how are you feeling!" Ron asked, over brightly. He had been uncharacteristically sweet since her illness, probably feeling bad over growing cross with her after the discussion on Saturday morning.

Hermione beamed at them, and drew them together in a tight embrace.

"Ow."

"Hey!" They exclaimed as their bodies crashed together.

"Hermione… gerroff!" Ron mumbled.

"Can't breath!" gasped Harry.

She loosened her grip slightly, and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." She said, pulling away at last. Ron grinned embarrassedly. Harry leered and said: "Be careful Hermione, you don't want to make your boyfriend jealous."

Members of the nearby Gryffindor table sniggered. Hermione looked at him questioningly, and in response he pointed to a spot behind her.

She turned around, and jumped.

Blaise was standing right behind her.

Hermione blushed, while cursing her fate. Blaise was her "_boyfriend"_ and naturally, she would be expected to give him some token of thanks similar to what she'd done to Harry and Ron. Hugging her two best friends, who she thought of as brothers, was one thing, but she was still writhing in humiliation over the last "intimate moment" she'd had with Blaise, and was not keen on reliving the experience.

Taking a deep breath, she tentatively stepped forward and put her arms around his thin waist. She was intending it to be a short embrace, but his unexpected reciprocation prolonged it. Some Gryffindors were cat calling, and she hid her face in his sweater-vest to cover the glow of her cheeks.

"Thank you…" She murmured. "I owe you now." She added quietly.

His chest vibrated with a chuckle, and she looked up at him.

"You paid in advance, remember?" He asked, and touched a finger to her lips.

She knew her face would never return to its proper color.

"That was why?" She hissed, beyond mortified. He nodded, his face a malicious grin. "Stupid." She muttered, and let go. He was another one she would not be able to look in the face for a while.

He chuckled again.

"I respect you for your embarrassment." That surprised her. "If it hadn't meant anything to you, you wouldn't be red in the face. You saved my ass with that kiss, as I am currently always on the brink of expulsion… and coercing a teacher in to divulging private thoughts through the use of a highly illegal potion definitely counts as an expellable offense for the both of us. Still, you didn't have to do what you did, and the fact that you regret it now despite the trouble we would've been in, makes the action all the more valuable. In my book, we are even." There was a pause.

"I don't regret it." Hermione whispered.

She smiled and looked up. She was gratified to see his cheeks darken slightly. It had certainly been mortifying enough for her to say, but she meant it.

Being a Slytherin, however, Blaise was never one to step down from the game Hermione had just initiated, even if she herself was unaware of doing so.

"Do you know how badly you've messed with my life, Granger?" He said quietly, in a voice that gave her chills. She was again surprised. For some reason, that question had her heart beating a mile a minute. Judging by the smirk of triumph on Blaise's face, he knew it. "I had it all worked out before this mess came along."

"A mess, am I? And what were you going to do that you now cannot?" She hissed sarcastically, hoping her voice conveyed none of the hyperactivity in her chest.

"I had planned…." He began patiently, taking her hand and guiding her towards the Gryffindor table. "To graduate without anyone knowing my face. Commit a few murders and then disappear in to anonymity forever. Now everyone knows my face, and I can't possibly disappear like I wanted to." He finished and took a seat with the Gryffindors.

She snorted and sat down next to him. They were sitting across from Harry and Ron, facing the Slytherin table, and Hermione could see, turning away as though he hadn't been looking, Draco Malfoy, a deep frown marring his features.

Inexplicably, a pang of guilt struck her chest, and she looked down, frowning.

"Something wrong?" Blaise asked.

Hermione took a breath and shook her head, wondering what on earth she had to feel guilty about. It was his fault she was pretending to date Blaise. It was his fault she had gotten sick.

Blaise was looking at her with what might've been slight concern, so to cover the moment she asked:

"Am I on your hit list?"

He smirked.

"Nah, only people who deserve it." He said, and passed her a plate of various sweet breads. She chose two slices of zucchini bread and set the platter down.

"Like who?" She asked distractedly, while she warred with herself internally over the unnecessary negative feelings.

"Oh, the usual. Lucius Malfoy first, then Edward and Meredith Jenkins, then Theodore Knot. After that, there are a few people I may or may not off depending on how they fare between now and graduation." Blaise's face was completely straight as he rattled off his list, and his eyes were like steel.

Hermione choked on her buttered bread.

"You're not serious, are…" She began, but was cut off.

"Ah, I see we are all assembled." Dumbledore, who had risen from his place at the breakfast table, was addressing the great hall. The hall grew quiet. "First, I would like to welcome back Ms. Hermione Granger, who recently battled Hepatyphus. Many of you know that Hepatyphus claims the majority of wizard children, and is very dangerous. Ms. Granger is very lucky to be with us."

The Gryffindor table lit up with applause again, and the other tables, even the Slythering table -whose occupants had several brothers and sisters die from the disease- joined in.

"Secondly, I would like to announce, that a formal award ceremony will take place at the leaving feast this Friday to present Special Awards for services to the school to Misters Potter, Weasley, Zabini and Malfoy, for their ingenious rescue of their class mate, Ms. Granger."

Blaise turned white and his mouth fell open. Harry and Ron weren't fairing much better.

"How in God's name does he know?" Ron hissed, absolutely amazed.

"It's Dumbledore." Harry responded, and it was the best answer anyone could've given.

Looking across the great hall, Hermione could see Draco Malfoy was positively gob smacked.

Ginny started clapping, and again, the rest of the hall joined in, all except for the Slytherins, who instead were turning their faces collectively towards Draco Malfoy with distinct looks of disgust.

Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle glared at them, and slowly they turned their attention elsewhere, but the damage, in Draco's opinion, was already done.

It was enough that Dumbledore knew, it was too much that Granger knew, and it was out of control that he was getting an award for it… Now the entire school knew. Draco put his face in his hands, and took several deep breaths. Silently he cursed fate over and over and over again. He felt Pansy's hand on his shoulder and was genuinely grateful to her for her support; however at that moment, he simply wanted to be left alone.

He nodded to her, then got up and, his eyes glued to the floor, left the great hall as swiftly as he could without running.

Hermione watched him go with a frown, then she noticed Blaise was watching him as well.

"I.. I think I'll go to the library before classes start." She said, completely forgetting about Blaise's hit list.

She stood up, but Blaise caught her hand.

"Hermione." He began, looking as though he was battling over whether to say what he stopped her to say or not. He let out a breath. "Malfoy's upset because he didn't want you to know.. because he's ashamed of helping you… because you're nothing more than a muggle born to him. He's scum, him and his whole family, and he's not worth getting worked up over."

She smiled kindly at him. "He'd say the same thing about you, you know." She said softly. Blaise smirked. "I don't know why you two hate each other so much, but I do think it's time to put it to rest…" She put in hopefully.

"Well, if you're going to go over to comfort the great prat, you might tell him that. Although I'm positive he'll site that very small problem of me wanting his dad dead as a hindrance to further amiable relations." Hermione laughed.

"You'll have to tell me all about it some time." She said, and mussed his hair. Then she laughed again. "Now you really do look like Harry."

Harry and Ron turned their horror stricken faces to her, and their expressions melted into smiles.

"You related to the Potters?" Asked Ron.

"Not to my knowledge, I thought the Potters were descended from the Frostpine clan of the Valleys." Blaise said, and suddenly the three boys were engrossed in a conversation of bloodlines and relationships.

Hermione took that moment to exit the scene. She wondered, as she walked through the halls, why Pansy had not left with him. She didn't want to comfort Malfoy, she just wanted to thank him, and let him know that she now owed him a second time.

She sighed, wondering if she'd ever be out from these life debts. She owed so much to Harry and Ron as well, but a life debt was not magically viable between people who love each other, and she certainly loved her best friends.

She stopped at that thought.

Her mouth fell open in realization.

Her mind, quickly followed by her heart, seemed to freeze.

**Blaise. **

"No way." She gasped, her brain jamming. "No freaking way."

But could you really pay in advance for a life debt? She believed him when he said that was his reason for helping her, but did that count? If it didn't count… If that's not how it worked…

When Malfoy was near her, the magical bond of a life-debt was like a tangible cage. She could feel it grow in strength when he got close to her, feel it all the time like an irritation in the back of her mind, or a collar that she always wore around her neck. But with Blaise, there was nothing.

Suddenly, her urge to go the library became genuine. Malfoy could wait, this was important. She broke into a run and made it to the library in record time. She took a moment to catch her breath before stepping into the domain of the irritable-Pince.

She went straight to the proper section. She knew where it was having researched the topic two weeks ago after the first incident. She was shocked to see Malfoy in the isle, leaning against the stacks with a book open in his arms. He looked up when she joined him and sneered:

"God, Granger, you're barely out of the hospital and the first place you come is here, did you even bother to eat?"

She blushed and looked down.

"What are you doing here?" She said to her feet.

"Looking for a way to die painlessly." He drawled back, shutting the book in his hand with a loud snap which startled her. She looked up.

He replaced the book on the shelf and made to leave.

"Malfoy." She said timidly.

"What!" He replied, stopping, with more anger than the situation warranted.

"I just… I… I wanted to tell you…" He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, you owe me another one..." He sneered. "Great recompense it is for the whole school to think I fancy you." He added with vindictive sarcasm.

"Well that's obviously not the case." She said, blushing at the very idea. "Other wise there would be no second life debt."

She could see him smirking from the brief glances she took in between staring at her shoes. He walked closer to her, so he could sneer down at her, and whispered:

"You and Zabini know all about that don't you?" In a voice so silky it would've put Snape to shame.

Hermione's face became red enough to put a Weasley to shame.

"You two are a really convincing couple, you know?" He continued, his silk becoming ice. "Been getting cozy while grudgingly agreeing to hold hands and eat together? He made sure you have immunity to Hepatyphus so that '_just in case'_ **it **happens again, you don't get sick. Rather _sweet_ of him, don't you think?"

In response, she grasped her tie and loosened it, then unbuttoned her collar. Malfoy drew in a breath, his eyes widening with surprise.

"And you made sure, I'd be protected." Hermione said, drawing out the glowing, warm amulet. His surprise immediately became a scowl.

He said nothing, but stared down at her with an obstinate expression.

"I didn't come here to thank you for saving my life again, because I'll repay you for that eventually." She said quietly. "I wanted to thank you for this." And indicated the red orb on the silver chain.

"It doesn't mean anything." He snapped, his cheeks darkening.

She looked up as if memorizing his features.

"If it hadn't meant anything to you, you wouldn't be embarrassed. You didn't have to do what you did, and the fact that you regret it now, makes it all the more valuable." She realized she was repeating what Blaise had told her, but the words seemed very appropriate. Malfoy's expression was softening.

"Right." He muttered, and turned to go again.

Hermione, not knowing why, caught him by the waist. He looked down at her, surprised. The faintest amount of pink suffused his cheeks, making him look years younger.

"What now?" She smiled, enjoying the embarrassment on his face. Seeing Malfoy embarrassed wasn't something you got to see everyday. During the past few weeks, she'd felt little more than humiliation, it seemed. She found herself wanting to see him feeling some of the mortification she felt, so she said:

"You helped me the same as the others. Fair is fair, Malfoy." And hugged him around the waist, like she had done to Blaise.

She expected him to jump back in terror, or say something scathing, or simply push her away, but he just stood there, probably too shocked to do anything.

She couldn't see his face, her ear being pressed against his sweater-vest like it had been when she'd woken up after almost dying, two weeks ago. She couldn't believe it had only been fourteen days, it felt like years had gone by since the Slytherins moved into the dorm; Since Malfoy and Blaise had moved into her life.

She realized she was still holding him, taking in the familiar feeling of his torso and chest. She smiled to herself. It was rather ironic that she _knew _what holding Draco Malfoy felt like. She could hear his heart thudding madly, and feel his nervous breathing, and the stiffness of his back.

"Granger." He said, at last. His steady voice conveyed none of the signs the rest of his body were telling her.

She let go and looked up at him.

His expression was unreadable. He retreated from the library, without another word.

Hermione watched him go, not sure what to make of what just happened. Long after the door to the library had shut, she turned to the book shelf which had been her original intent. There, slightly jutting out from the others, was the book Malfoy had been reading. She chose it, drew her wand, and muttered a spell to make the book fall upon to the page that had been most recently read.

It opened onto a passage that said:

_"While the magically binding properties of a life-debt are absolute until such time as the debtor repays the debt through a life-altering service, or by saving the life of the person to whom the debt is owed, it has been observed that a life debt is not activated between two people who love each other. This love need not be romantic in nature, as exemplified by parents who save their children's lives. _

_It is dually noted that love must be felt by both parties to nullify the debt. There is no better example of the duality needed in such a situation, than that of the witch Elainis of Holyoke, who was deeply enamored with her rescuer, the celebrated sorcerer Taliesin the wise…." _

Hermione shut the book, not remotely interested in the story of Taliesin and Elainis. She had seen what she needed to see, and more than that, Malfoy had seen it.

She didn't even know what it meant, as she certainly didn't feel any romantic feelings towards Blaise. So what, if she found him attractive, and enjoyed his company when he wasn't being a prat, and blushed when ever he walked into a room…

She groaned and let her head fall against the stacks of her precious books, wishing they could give her the answers she sought. Unfortunately, no one could tell her how she felt.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco Malfoy would never be described or remembered by his classmates as a "nice" person. Indeed, Draco prided himself on the cold-bastard reputation he had cultivated… or he had. Now he was simply confused.

It struck him as odd, that he had spent his entire career at Hogwarts playing the antithesis of the very people he envied. He was able to admit to himself, upon seeing Hermione obey him, that he had desired the same type of admiration that Potter and his group attracted, though he'd never admit that to anyone else. He then had to admit that playing a complete bastard was a poor way indeed to go about getting what he wanted.

Now that he'd tasted a bit of appreciation, the first of it from Ginny, and the second dose from Hermione just moments ago, he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. All he knew was that it didn't feel right. The hugs both girls had bestowed upon him, far from making him feel good about himself, gave him a sick feeling that he couldn't identify, but had an inkling the feeling was some damnable hybrid of fear and guilt.

He'd been able to shrug off the feeling the first time it surfaced, in the arms of the youngest Weasley. Their families had been enemies for ages, as their entire ideology was so radically different. His father had used his influence in the ministry to keep Arthur Weasley down, and ensure the impoverished status of the family. If that weren't enough, Lucius had gone on to attempt the murder of the only girl the family had produced in decades. None of that was his fault, of course, but he supposed it was enough of a reason to excuse the feeling.

Coming away from his second touch of the fruit of heroism, however, he knew for sure that the positive attention he was getting from these encounters was making him uncomfortable. Negative attention he could deal with, he'd been attracting that his entire life. He'd told himself that he wanted different, but now he wasn't sure anymore.

He wondered if Blaise was feeling the same way. Blaise, who had always garnered nothing but hatred and fear from those around him, and was now being fawned all over by the gryffindors… was he too feeling similar discomfort? He seemed comfortable enough, sitting at the Gryffindor table and talking with Potter and Weasley like they were old friends. Draco chuckled darkly to himself… _if only they knew. _

Draco shook himself slightly and slowed his swift walk to class. He'd be early at this rate and the last thing he wanted was to sit in a room alone with Granger. Being around her was becoming increasingly awkward.

"Something a miss, Malfoy?" Blaise's smooth drawl pulled Draco from his waking reverie. He stopped and turned.

"Speak of the devil." Draco returned in his practiced dispassionate drawl. Blaise raised an eye brow at him. Draco could tell he was tense.

He was leaning against the wall near the charms classroom, one heel against the wall with the corresponding knee cocked up. His arms were crossed, and his brow was raised. He was using a cool drawl Draco knew very well. His entire appearance screamed of casual apathy, but Draco knew better.

"It appears that you're the one with the problem." Draco said, as though commenting on the weather. Blaise smiled his smile that put viewers in mind of impending doom.

"Not me. But Hermione seems to think you were upset and in need of some consolation… or at least gratitude. So, I suppose I should thank you." Blaise's smile increased into a full blown leer of wickedness. "What are friends for, after all?"

Draco decided to take up Pansy's advice and ignore the intentional barb. He and Blaise were not friends, and they would never be again. Draco would never forgive him for what Blaise did to his family, Never. Instead, he concentrated on the rest of the statement.

"_Hermione_ is it?" Draco snorted, even as his insides twisted with yet another uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling. He looked up at Blaise, and saw his eyes flash, though his face remained impassive. Draco couldn't contain his shock when it finally clicked.

"You're jealous." He whispered, in awe. Blaise's expression didn't flicker for a second, and that's how Draco knew he was right. "You're actually jealous… you really fancy her…"

Something flashed into Draco's memory. He could see, very clearly as though it had happened just moments ago, the image of a blond girl smiling… tears in her blue eyes, but smiling, and Blaise's arm around her shoulders … comforting her, exactly like Draco had found Blaise and Hermione upon returning from the chamber of secrets. Draco's expression became stoic.

"I'm not like you." Draco spat. "I wouldn't do to you what you did to me."

Then, Blaise's face changed. He dropped his heel and planted both feet on the floor, while pulling himself upright from his lean, though he kept his arms crossed over his chest. His face looked more serious and more sad, and he paused to look at Draco intently.

"No." Blaise said at last. "You aren't like me. For one thing, I wouldn't parade myself as something other than what I am…. Accepting people's gratitude and trust while fully intent on stabbing them in the back."

Draco was furious.

"Something other than what I am!" The blond said incredulously.

"Everyone knows what I am." Blaise hissed back.

"The ikkle griffies don't… your precious mudblood doesn't!"

"I." Began Blaise, his eyes now matching his name. "can't help what I am. And you know it. You, on the other hand, choose to crawl on your hands and knees, doing the bidding of some hypocritical tosser just to make daddy-dearest happy. You make me sick."

"I don't server anyone!" Draco shouted.

"Not yet you don't. But you will. Spineless, gutless sod that you are, there is no way in hell you'll turn down the call to the dark. How you look at any of them in the face is beyond me.. when you know, just as well as I do, that soon you'll be trying to kill them. And to think she was worried about you… when you wouldn't hesitate to bring her severed head to your half-blood master, so he could throw you a bloody scrap of power."

"How dare you." Draco spat.

"Go on a deny it." Blaise cackled, a cruel and harsh sound in the empty corridor. "Tell me you wouldn't do it. Go on." He laughed again. "And to think! They waste their energy hating me… when there are little carrion eaters like you debauching this green earth. Rather ironic, isn't it."

"You deserve every ounce of hatred directed towards you and more! You stabbed me in the back!" Draco shot back.

"How does it feel?" Blaise's voice was airy and easy, as he walked right up to Draco to stand inches from him. He whispered: "When she thanks you for saving her life?" Blaise smiled as Draco's face twisted, mimicking the tightening of his chest.

Blaise had spoken aloud, exactly what Draco was feeling. And although he hated Blaise more than anyone else on the planet, Draco knew Blaise was the only person to understand him completely and totally, just as Draco understood him. He couldn't lie, not to Blaise.

"Like hell." Draco breathed, liberated by the complete truth of the statement. Blaise's smiled became a genuine one.

"Maybe you've got a heart after all then." Blaise whispered softly.

"That makes one of us." Draco returned in a harsh hiss. Hatred pulsed through his veins like poison. Hatred for Blaise, the boy who had ruined everything for him. All he wanted at that moment was to beat the other boy into a bloody pulp.

"Perhaps." Blaise agreed, his smile vanishing. "Finish the life debts than crawl back to your master. I don't want to see you around her after that." Blaise spat, and spun around to enter the charms classroom.

"It always comes back to _her_ doesn't it." Draco drawled, his eyes flashing.

Blaise stopped and slowly turned back around.

"Which _her_ are _you_ talking about?" Blaise asked slowly, his eyes narrowed.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You started this, after all." Draco said, and discretely fingered his wand.

"In your mind, perhaps I started it. Soon, we will have to end it."

"Is that a threat, Zabini?" Draco drawled in a mocking voice.

"It's a promise." Blaise returned, his voice like steel. Then, he walked away and disappeared into the charms classroom.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Spill it Granger."

Hermione couldn't believe this. She had come up to her dormitory right after dinner with a large stack of books on magical contracts to, once and for all, sort out what was going on. Instead, she found herself being cornered by her dorm mates, and faced with the ominous prospect of -shudder- _girl talk_.

"Granger?" Hermione asked. Lavender never called her that.

"You've been holding out on us!" Pavarti said. "When you cough up the goods, you'll be worthy of a first name again." She smirked.

"What? What goods?"

"You've been dating Blaise Zabini behind everyone's back for ages!" Lavender exclaimed impatiently.

Hermione's face went completely blank as she digested the accusation. Then she burst out laughing.

"What gave you that impression!" she said between laughs.

"Come off it!" exclaimed Pavarti. "We saw you two at breakfast. It's sooooo obvious!"

"Spill it! How long have you been going out?" said Lavender

"When did you meet?" fired Pavarti.

"How did it happen?" shot Lavender.

"How did he ask you out?" asked Pavarti.

"Who kissed who first?" squealed Lavender, and the two burst into a fit of giggles that managed to hamper their quick succession of highly embarrassing questions.

Hermione just gapped at them, at a complete loss for what to say. She looked over at Pansy, who was surveying the torture with an expression of mild amusement. Hermione silently pleaded with her for help. Pansy smiled a truly malicious smile, and stepped forward.

"Oh yeah, we all knew about it. They'd liked each other for ages." Drawled Pansy, her grin was pure evil.

Hermione jumped to her feet, incredulous. "What!" She screeched.

"You know, cause they're both top of the class…" Continued Pansy sweetly.

"I didn't know." Millicent said, coming to sit next to Pansy and completing the circle of gossiping girls who surrounded Hermione accusingly.

"Did you keep it a secret cause of Zabini's back ground?" Asked Millicent.

"Ooo that's right, I hear his family is a bad sort." Pavarti said concernedly.

"Granger is trying to reform him." Pansy said.

"I can't believe this." Hermione said faintly, staring at Pansy in shock.

Pansy chuckled and said: "Oh, Zabini is a cool one… a bad boy, that probably had a lot to do with it. You like the bad boys, don't you Granger? You like breaking- er- Reforming them, don't you?"

Pavarti and Lavender practically fell off the bed with giggles.

"That's so cute!" exclaimed Pavarti.

Hermione was ready to beat her head against the bed post. She glared at Pansy- The TRAITOR! Then she had to stop herself and wonder when it was she started to see Pansy Parkinson as someone _on her side_; Someone that she trusted, even.

"So, how did he ask you out?" Lavender asked.

"Granger was the forward one." Pansy said.

Hermione buried her face in her hands, wishing the earth would swallow her whole. The girls were laughing as Pansy continued to grin with malice.

"So how long, it looks like you two have been together for ages." Pavarti asked.

"Not too long actually." Pansy clarified, starting to feel a bit of pity for Hermione, who was so red with anger and embarrassment, it looked like she'd pop any moment. "Zabini was simply enamored immediately."

The "Awwww!" that issued from her fellow Gryffindors made Hermione want to cry with humiliation. Damnable, traitorous Slytherins!

"That's true." Agreed Millicent. "We've known Blaise for years and ever since…" she trailed off at a sharp look from Pansy. "Well, let's just say he's not the friendliest person in the world. Always been a loner.. never wanted to mix, he didn't. Never wanted to be close to anyone."

Hermione looked up from her hands.

Millicent didn't know this was all fake, but it seemed that no one wanted to mix with him either, and Hermione wondered why. Hermione looked at Pansy, whose expression was softer. Pansy threw her auburn locks over her shoulder aristocratically, and sighed.

"She's right you know, Granger… Blaise has never acted this way before. He's always been a distant, cold, bastard- worse than Draco even. We couldn't believe our eyes when we came in last Saturday and saw him comforting you like you were the most precious thing in the world to him." Pansy said, and Hermione knew she was telling the truth. Hermione almost smiled, were it not for the overblown "sighs" from the peanut gallery.

"That's so sweet!" Lavender said.

"You've cracked the heart of a Slytherin, Hermione!" Pavarti agreed

"Maybe even two…" Lavender leered. "After all, they both came to your rescue a second time!" And the two giggled some more.

"Malfoy?" Millicent asked, then looked uneasily at Pansy.

Pansy, however, still had a curious smile on her face.

"Hey, yeah, you're his best friend Pansy, does Malfoy fancy Hermione?" Pavarti asked. Pansy shrugged.

"You don't have to fancy someone to do something decent." She said patiently, and with a note of finality which told everyone that the subject was closed.

"I agree." Hermione said. "Look, are we done now?"

"Oh no you don't, Granger!" Lavender said.

"Details, Details! We need details!" Pavarti agreed.

Hermione blushed.

"Like what?"

"Like, is he a good kisser?" Pavarti asked

"What is he really like when you two are alone?" Millicent queried.

"Does he get you a lot of gifts?" Lavender asked.

"Measurements." Pansy said nastily. The others roared with laughter.

"Like I know that!" Hermione screamed, jumping to her feet, and intent on escaping.

"Why not?" asked Lavender. "If you love someone…"

"I don't… we're not in love." Hermione explained, deflating slightly.

"Really? Then how are you going to pay him back?" asked Pansy, the evil smile back in place. Trust a Slytherin to bring up a perfect refutation!

Hermione sighed.

"I don't know, he hasn't asked me for anything yet." She lied.

"Well then, you might know those measurements soon enough." Pavarti said in a serious voice. Then she and Lavender burst out laughing.

"I'm leaving." Hermione said, thoroughly disgusted with the whole lot of them.

"Granger." Pansy said.

"What!" Hermione snapped, vowing internally to get her back for this.

The other girls were still laughing their heads off, giving Pansy cover to say:

"Be careful." Her voice was very serious.

"Why? What do you know?" Pansy's eyes flashed with something mysterious.

"More than I ought to. Be careful with Zabini.. don't get attached, he's a lost cause."

"Who says I'm…"

"Even if your not." Pansy cut her off impatiently. "You don't know what's going on in his head."

"I'll say." Hermione thought. Blaise became more vexing to her each day.

"Granger. No matter what you want to believe about Zabini, he's dangerous. He's like Potter, only the opposite…. You've got to believe the hype; the rumors are there for good reason." Hermione opened her mouth to speak. "It's your choice to believe me or not, but don't say I didn't warn you." Pansy hissed, irritated.

Pansy's expression softened again and she said, more kindly: "I didn't mean to tease you so bad, I just wanted to prove a point." Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be embarrassed if you didn't care… if some of it wasn't real. Don't fall for Blaise, Hermione, he's not what you think he is."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thanks to all the reviewers who put me at 124! -big smile- Keep up the support.

**Nevermind: **Did you feel any triangle that chapter? I'm actually not so much into love triangles, because I don't see Hermione as a cheater. I figure she'd probably stick to one guy at a time. We'll see.

**Rain4life:** Really, where did you hear Blaise is going to show back up? That's it, in my blaise/Hermione fic I'm going to write it like it's book 6. Muwhoahahha, I'll beat her to it!

**Ehlonna:** Well, now do you think Blaise cares? And Draco? I remember being 16… I had no idea what I felt most of the time, and I figure that still hasn't changed. I'm glad you liked the orginial magic scene, I've never tried to write one before so I wasn't sure how it would be. The amulet was needed for later in the book… as were the elemental magics. As for harry and ron doing the dark arts, there will be more of that as well. I see harry as having become a lot darker since Sirius' death. We'll see more of this dark harry during winter break.

**Dizzydragon: **Yes, Blaise is a bastardization of my own personality (at age 16) and the personality of someone I was friends with (at age 16) so he's fun to write. Thanks for the compliment. If you are interested in keeping me in line, I'm looking for a beta. Keep up with the reviews!

**Ryua Malfoy: **I'm glad you read my story and liked it. Yes it's going to continue to cut deep.. and Blaise will never thaw completely, but you'll see more sides to him. The basilisk belongs to harry and she'll be a bigger player in later chapters. Keep reviewing, and thanks.

**Kate felton: **Better than Rolling? No way, not even close. But thanks!

**Regina: **Blaise is only mentioned once during the sorting in the first book. Supposedly, he's coming back in the sixth book.

**Mhe and Jpearl19: **This will be a Draco/Hermione story. Thanks for the reviews.

**Star-Angel: **No offense taken. I've never seen the show of which you speak, as I don't watch TV… but I do try to keep an aire of Mystery just to mimic JK's style in her books. Blaise and Hermione will be friends, and I'll try to write the other B/Hr story.

**Ashley: **Thanks for the encouragement. You got me off my butt and writing to get this done, keep it up!

**Sundaymorning, avi, flamingamber, Taru, Rulerofdisenchantedforest, Windrider, pinkchicklet, elvin-warrior-princess, Sarah143, hpdanrad, writingangel203, and harryslover: **Thanks to you and all my reviewers. I'll try to write the Blaise/Hermione story that many of you have requested. Please keep me motivated with lots of reviews!


	14. Morgan

**Mispost- Please read: **

**Chapter Three was not posted correctly. I just realized this after I had posted the last chapter. For your convenience, the following is the end of chapter three. If you so choose, go back and read the entire chapter. **

**And Now, the missing ending of chapter three: _I don't know why._**

"WHAT!" Draco snapped at the irritating boy sitting on his bed.

Blaise pointed to Draco's pillow. Frowning, Draco picked up the envelope sitting on the pillow and opened it. Inside was a card that said:

_Welcome to Gryffindor Draco,_

_Although we haven't gotten along well in the past, I hope that can change; Especially considering recent events. I meant what I said, all you have to do is ask. Outside that, if there is anything I can do you make you more at home, please let me know. _

_Hermione Granger_

Draco blinked a few times in disbelief. Blaise was snickering, and that caused Draco to look up.

The other boy was sitting on his own bed now, and holding an identical envelope and card. Apparently, the writing amused him greatly.

"What does yours say?" Draco asked quickly.

"_Dear Blaise Zabini,_

_"I don't believe we've ever spoken, but I imagine that will change now that we are house-mates."_

"Imagine! She thinks we're bloody, honorary Gryffindors now or something!"

"_I do however, remember your very astute observation of the magically amplifying effects of blood in potions. Not to insult you, but I've heard that you're quite evil."_

"Malfoy, she drew a smiley face!" Malfoy snorted in reply.

"_But I'm sure that's exaggerated."_

"Ha, if only you knew!" Malfoy said darkly.

Dean and Seamus were looking scandalized.

"_I hope to learn more about potions from you, as your grades always seem to endanger my standing."_

"Good lord, another smiley face."

"_Perhaps we can study together some time. Do make yourself at home. _

"_Hermione Granger."_

"I can't believe it, she actually wrote personal letters to all of us." Draco said, when he discovered similar cards on Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott's beds.

"Aww, and look, there are little silver and gold chocolates beneath the cards!" Blaise said in a very honeyed voice, then he burst into maniacal laughter.

Draco saw Seamus and Dean exchanging looks of disgust before turning away.

Draco fell onto his bed, suddenly feeling extremely antisocial.

He looked up at the velvety black curtains and tried not to think about how he'd yelled at Granger.. when in truth, she hadn't done anything wrong, other than show she cared.

The truth was, he wasn't angry with her because of anything she had done, he was angry because of what he had done. Draco remembered the disgusted looks on the faces of his house mates when he came outside from the hospital wing, not because he'd saved someone's life… but because it had been Granger.

Pansy, coming to his defense as usual, had pointed out that Granger now owed him a life debt, and the rest of his house had been satisfied. Even so, life had become extremely difficult for him now that his father was in jail.

_It's all Potter's fault_, he told himself, like he always did when he was angry at himself or his father, knowing full well it wasn't true.

Not for the first time, he replayed those first moments of lucidness after the accident. He couldn't remember anything very well until he was in the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey had healed his head injury.

Then he'd been left alone with Granger, and of course the first thing she did was ask the one question he had no idea how to answer.

"_Why?"_

He wished he knew.

Turning restlessly, he closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.

**Chapter Fourteen: Morgan  
**

Narcissa Malfoy sniffed the frigid air as she stood before the gates of Hogwarts school. She couldn't remember the last time she'd visited the school. She never had to leave the manor often before Lucius was jailed. Now, it seemed, she was never home.

A pang of nostalgia touched her heart for a moment, and she smiled. She did love the smell of winter, but hadn't realized until now, that the smell itself brought back happy memories of the carefree times she'd spent as a school girl on these same grounds. She looked around the snow-laden grounds and could almost see her old classmates playing in the snow. Of course, that was silly… the grounds were deserted, and she wasn't here to reminisce over a childhood lost, but rather to support her son as he received an honor from the school.

She passed through the gate from whence she'd apparated, and made her way on the shoveled path towards the main doors. The castle was just as she remembered it, with its black-gray stone turrets and towers, emitting countless streams of smoke from countless fireplaces that heated the place. The oak doors, held together and in place by black iron, cast -no doubt- in the medieval days when the castle was built, creaked open as she approached. She stepped into the warm entrance hall, and cast a quick charm to dry the hem of her robes, cloak and boots.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Severus Snape was in the entrance hall to receive her. He gave a small bow, his lank hair falling in his face.

Narcissa acknowledged him with an even smaller curtsy. She had never liked Snape, even before the incident nearly seven years prior, but he was Lucius' associate and so she had always maintained polite relations.

"Severus, how are you?" She asked airily, taking the arm he offered.

"As well as can be expected in these conditions…" he said, gesturing towards a loud group of hufflepuffs as they flooded into the great hall very nosily.

Narcissa patted his arm and allowed herself to be lead into the great hall after the students.

"And you, how are you faring lately?" He asked, continuing towards the teacher's table.

Narcissa stiffened at the sight of Ursula Sinistra, who was already seated at the table, looking at the two of them approaching with mild interest. Her lip curled of its own accord as she examined Ursula's face, so much like her sister's, with her dark eyes and hair, and pale skin. How she hated that face.

"Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Uh? Oh, I'm sorry dear.. I'm a bit tired… Yes, I'm fine thank you. It's been quite busy since Lucius…"

"I understand." Snape said, and lead her to a seat at the other end of the table from Professor Sinistra, for which she was grateful.

The rest of the hall was almost full of students, all sitting at their appropriate tables and eagerly looking forward to the end-of-term feast, and the winter holidays that were sure to follow.

Everyone, that was, except for "the inner circle." Hermione, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Harry, Ginny and Ron, were all nervous and expectant about the break, because this year's holidays were shadowed by the black moon. They had all decided to stay this year, to execute the plan, but an unsettled feeling descended on all of them, like an omen of what was to come. The palpable could of tension and anger between Draco and Blaise certainly hadn't helped settle their nerves.

Narcissa could see her son at the Slytherin table, trying to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible. He was positively writhing with embarrassment in his seat. It made him look younger than he was, and put a smile on her face. When he looked that young, she could almost forget he was growing up at all. Next to him… Narcissa's face darkened.

The dark eyes and hair of Blaise Zabini caught her eye, and she scowled. But her musings were cut short as the headmaster rose from his seat to address the school. The hall grew quiet.

"Another term has come and gone." Dumbledore began, beaming around at the students. "Again, I remind myself to be thankful that I was chosen to teach. Nothing fills my heart with as much hope, as watching you, the students take an unfortunate situation and turn it around.

"At the beginning of this year, we were warned of the Dark Lord's plot to destroy the school. The plot manifested itself in the near death experience of two of our students, and culminated in the closing of the Slytherin dorms. And while I had high hopes that you could cope, even adapt, I had my doubts." Some people laughed. "But yet again, each and every one of you exceeded my expectations, by joining together as a larger student body united in the goal of preserving life and promoting the greater good."

"I am more proud to be the headmaster of Hogwarts than I've ever been, as I prepare to give a special award for services to the school to Draco Malfoy." The occupants of the hall clapped politely. "Harry Potter" The Gryffindor table erupted. "Ronald Weasley" The Gryffindors were just as strong. "And Blaise Zabini." And to Blaise's and Hermione's great surprise, the Gryffindors clapped for Blaise just as loudly. Over at the Slytherin table, he was blushing.

"This is the first time an award has been given to students from multiple houses. Truly, it is an unprecedented honor we bestow this day to these four boys of outstanding character. I ask that each of you please step forward, to be recognized by your peers and teachers, for what you have done."

Harry and Ron were the first to stand, and they did so uneasily, embarrassed by the loud clapping and whistling from their fellow Gryffindors. They made their way to the front of the hall, red faced. Blaise stood next, his face on fire, he looked very much like he'd rather run from the hall. Draco, unlike the others, was white in the face, and looked like he was going to refuse to stand, but then he caught the eye of his mother, and grudgingly made his way to the front of the hall.

The students continued to clap as four small plaques were presented to each of them by their heads of houses. When the clapping died away, Dumbledore continued:

"Each will receive one hundred points for their houses, and their plaques will be displayed in the trophy room so others may know what they did. Although, none of these honors testifies to the service these boys have rendered the school, as the life they have preserved. Ms. Granger, please stand."

Hermione turned red. She didn't expect to be brought into any of this. Reluctantly, she stood up, and the hall turned their collective eyes to her.

"Every new spell mastered, every report turned in, all her future dreams and accomplishments, all the contributions she gives now and the forever more. Ms. Granger is the testament to their actions, and her life as it continues to turn is the true memorial to these boy's altruism." The hall clapped more solemnly.

"On behalf of Ms. Granger, her family, and all those who love her, and those who have been and will be touched by her, I thank you." The hall clapped again, and the Gryffindors stood up to applaud.

The four boys at the front looked as though they'd like nothing more than to be swallowed by the earth. Hermione beamed at them.

Through the din of the clapping and cheers, no one heard the door to the great hall open once more, nor the foot steps of the solitary figure as she walked in, until she was standing before the Gryffindor table, a look of slight disappointment on her face.

Hermione was one of the first to spot her. She took in the woman's beautiful and slightly familiar face. Her sleek, dark locks were pulled up into an elegant and complicated knot. Her lashes were so thick and long they had snow caught on them. Her lips were curly, full, and blood-red. She removed her black cloak to reveal and dangerously curvaceous body, accentuated by a tight bodice and dress that covered everything except her milky throat and the swell of her breasts.

She looked to be in her early forties, but that didn't stop her from attracting the attention of many of the males in the room, despite having only been there a few seconds. After the clapping had completely dissipated she said: "Oh, have I missed it? Damn."

This drew the attention of the mortified boys at the front of the hall.

"MUM?" Blaise asked in disbelief.

"Hello dear." She smiled a smile to scintillate the most abstinent of souls.

The hall gaped as one as she walked towards the center of the room, towards her son, her hips rocking lasciviously. Draco shuddered visibly when she walked past him. Was it Hermione's imagination, or had she winked at Draco when she passed?

She reached Blaise and hugged her son giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Now that she stood next to Blaise, Hermione could see the unmistakable resemblance. Hermione had never seen Blaise's father, but she knew he definitely favored his mother in looks. He was a little taller than her, and held nothing of her curves in his lanky form, but their faces were so close in appearance it was unnerving. They had the same impossibly long lashes and shared the same shape of eyes. His hair was only slightly lighter colored than hers, but it was the same sleek texture. They had the same high cheeks and curly lips. And now that Hermione paid attention, there was a cat like grace Blaise moved with, that was imitated, if not exaggerated in the movement of his mother.

"Morgan! This is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said, approaching the new comer.

"Albus, you look younger every day." She said, the merest hint of suggestion in her voice.

"What are you doing here?" Blaise asked in disbelief.

"I wanted to come see you get your award." She said. He looked at her incredulously. "What? I'm proud of you!" She reassured him, but when he continued to look disbelievingly at her she added: "I can pretend you're still my little boy sometimes can't I? Honestly, you'd swear I never breast fed you."

The Slytherin table erupted into sniggers, and Blaise turned red.

"Alright, I've got my award." Blaise said, holding it up and glowing red. "Let's go now."

"Oh, you aren't going to let me catch up with your teachers?" She asked, smiling maliciously.

"No." he glared.

"Why, have you been doing anything you shouldn't have?" She asked, her grin becoming feral. Blaise's face reheated itself, and his traitorous eyes caught Hermione's for the merest moment, before returning themselves to his mother.

"Of course not." He said.

"How sad for you, Morgan." A cool drawl cut in from the end of the staff table.

Narcissa was getting to her feet. She swept around the table with the utmost superiority, her nose in the air, and her hips stiff with dignity. She joined her son in front of the teacher's table, as the teachers themselves looked on with unease.

"Your own son is ashamed of being seen with you." Narcissa finished, her voice like ice. The hall was silent in disbelief.

Morgan smiled her cat-like smile, and eyed Narcissa like a particularly fat canary.

"Narcissa, darling!" Morgan said, placing a hand over her prominent cleavage as though startled, and smiling a huge friendly smile. "This is a surprise, you normally never leave the manor. Tell me, how is Lucius?" Something about the way she said "Lucius" made Hermione's skin crawl.

Narcissa looked furious, her lip curling in disgust, but she said nothing.

"Ah yes." Morgan purred, her grin becoming ironically sad. "He's in Azkaban isn't he? How terrible for you. You must be so terribly worried." Her face was filled with false remorse. "Don't worry Narcissa, I'm sure they don't make the prisoners _Share Cells_."

Hermione's mouth fell open. She couldn't possibly mean… there is no way she would say that in public! But sure enough, Morgan let out a shriek of laughter that confirmed everyone's understanding of what she had meant.

"How dare you!" Narcissa snapped. "You disgusting, foul woman. How dare you show your face in public with decent people, when everyone knows what you are! You should be painted scarlet, your wand snapped in half so you can live out the rest of your days with the other filth!" Her voice was a furious hiss.

The tension in the room was palpable.

"Narcissa, I wouldn't recommend putting muggles on par with filth in the present climate. It could cause ministry officials to examine you in the same light as your husband. Or perhaps, you are willing to openly admit your feelings about muggles and muggle-borns, like the young lady your son is getting an award for saving." She purred again, a look of triumph on her face.

Draco's ashen face turned red with anger, and his hand tightened around his wand. He stepped in front of his mother, and glared at Blaise's mother with pure hatred.

In response, Blaise stepped in front of his mother protectively, his face an impassive mask of apathy.

"Are you threatening me?" Narcissa spat.

"No, I'm simply giving you some good advice. Be careful, or you'll have a family reunion the like of your dear sister's." Morgan's voice was like a caress.

Narcissa smirked disdainfully, the comment about Bellatrix clearly hitting home.

"Thank you Morgan, I shall have to record that bit of advice in my current book: '_Pearls of wisdom from village whores'._" The room gasped collectively. "Any thing else to add to the…" But her voice failed her.

Narcissa clutched her throat, her face suddenly twisting with panic.

Draco turned to his mother, as she spoke soundlessly, then his eyes returned to the dark boy, standing impassively before his own combative mother.

Draco raised his wand.

"Take the curse off." Draco demanded, his wand poised on Blaise. "NOW!"

"Malfoy, Zabini didn't do anything." Harry began.

"He doesn't need to do anything to cast magic… he can just think it." Malfoy hissed back. "Take the curse off!"

"God did not grant the power of speech to his creatures so that they might utter such obscenities. When she respects the gift, it shall be returned to her." Blaise sing-songed, his face as full of irony as his words were. The smile that contorted his features was the first expression his face took since the argument had started.

"Take it off, this is your last chance Zabini." Malfoy warned.

"Or what?" The amusement in Blaise's voice was plain to everyone.

Malfoy's lip curled in disdain.

"Or you'll have me to deal with." He threatened.

"Really?" Blaise laughed. "Go on then Malfoy." The challenge was as evident in Blaise's eyes as it was in his voice. Draco returned the gaze.

"I think not boys." Broke in Snape. "That's enough, Mr. Zabini, take the curse off and stand down."

"I never stood up." Blaise said, not turning his eyes off his opponent. "And you have no right to stop me, Snape. Mrs. Malfoy has just accused my mother of a most grievous offense. There is social significance in such public accusations. I cannot simply allow it to go unpunished, _honor_ does not allow it. Malfoy, as the eldest _free _male of his household is similarly honor bound to stand up for his house's accusation."

"You are suggesting a dual of honor!" Snape exclaimed. The purebloods in the room gasped.

Blaise finally turned his face away from Malfoy to look Snape straight in the eyes.

"I will not have anyone insulting my mother." Blaise hissed.

"Angry Zabini? Something she said hitting home? " Draco sneered in return. He wasn't going to let the teachers keep this from happening.

"Enough!" Blaise snapped, and his voice seemed to echo in the eerie wind that swirled around. His anger filled the hall with a bitter frost. His hand went to the handle in the sheath at his waste, but his mother stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Blaise, take the curse off her." Morgan said.

Blaise hesitated, reluctant to take his eyes of Malfoy. After a moment, he flicked them to Narcissa, and.. with out the slightest movement on his part, speech was restored to her.

"W-what?" Narcissa asked.

"I am not unreasonable Narcissa. There is no reason for you to lose both your son and your husband. Take back what you said and put a stop to this." Morgan said amiably.

"I only speak the truth." Narcissa said. Blaise moved to draw his wand again, and again his mother stopped him.

"Narcissa… don't be stubborn. I would advise you to remember the last time we were in this situation. Your husband could not defeat my boy when he was ten and without a wand, what makes you think your son has a chance now that Blaise is fully armed and in control of his power. To proceed would be folly, and a needless sacrifice. Take back what you said, and your son can walk out of here to live another day."

Narcissa looked like she was considering it.

The look of fear on his mother's face, coupled with the arrogant self-assurance on Morgan's face, made Draco seethe with anger. So they both thought him incapable? Inadequate? Cannon fodder, perhaps? They thought he'd fall to Blaise as easily has he had the first time. Draco felt the anger that had been boiling inside him since their argument on Wednesday snap. He would not back down, he had his own score to settle.

"You're so confident…" Sneered Draco. "You really think you can kill me as soon as look at me. I'd like to see you try." No, Draco would prove to them all he could stand for his house. He would finish what began with their parents nearly seven years ago. He would finish what he started with Blaise.

"Its time we settled this." Blaise agreed seriously, and he drew his wand. His face returned to being completely blank.

Morgan sighed, patting her son on his shoulder, and stepped away. Narcissa stepped away as well, and let the two boys square up to each other.

"You can't be serious." A voice broke the deathly silence in the room. It was Hermione.

"Shut up Granger!" Hissed Pansy, whose face was white with horror. "This isn't something you can interrupt!"

"Why!" exclaimed Hermione. "Because of culture! Because of honor! Where is the honor is killing each other!" Hermione exclaimed desperately.

She made to step forward, but someone caught her arm. She turned and saw Gregory Goyle holding her wrist.

"Leave it alone Granger, this has been a long time coming… Those two go back farther than you know." He said.

Hermione looked back. Draco and Blaise were circling each other, their faces impassive, waiting for the other to strike first. Now more than ever, Blaise resembled his mother… his steps like a cat playing with its prey.

"You can't do this!" she gasped. "Harry… Ron…" She looked at her friends, standing to the side lines with indecision in their eyes. "Someone… " She looked up at Dumbledore. He returned her gaze with a grave look indeed, and left her in no doubt that not he nor anyone else would interfere.

"Vere Phasmatis Octus." Draco whispered. The occupants of the hall gasped as Draco split, once, twice, three times, so that eight Draco's now circled the dark haired boy. Blaise stopped moving, and closed his eyes.

Each Draco stopped as well, and they all muttered different spells and made different wand movements. Eight curses went flying at Blaise from eight directions. Blaise, his eyes still closed, raised his wand and erected a shield around him, reflecting the curses back upon their originators. Seven of the Draco's vanished when the spells hit them, leaving one standing with his wand poised looking windswept.

"You used your finishing move first?" Blaise said, his voice completely blank. "Using Daddy's tricks won't work on me." He said, and pointed his wand at the last Draco. The stone floor of the great hall was pealed away as the spell traveled over it, invisible except for the heat haze it emitted, to Draco, and exploded on impact. The stone wall behind him was decimated, and nothing was left but ash.

"NO!" Screamed Narcissa.

Hermione's knees went limp with shock.

Near by, she could faintly hear Pansy whimpering with tears of grief, and the rest of the hall was silent.

"Lammina Luna…" Began an echoing, disembodied voice.

Blaise wheeled around and yelled: "Revulus." The invisibility spell covering the real Draco was thrown back, to reveal him casting a major spell that surrounded him in a magical, glowing, circle.

"…septa lacesso." He said, and his wand erupted, as six sickle shaped flashes of light burst forth with the sound of thunder and flew in every direction.

"Damn!" Blaise said and closed his eyes in concentration. The six crescent moons of light, rocketed towards Blaise from every direction-whistling like blades cutting the air- but when they were with in a foot of cutting him down where he stood, they were smashed to pieces with the sound of a bell tolling and breaking. A wall of fire had erupted around the dark boy, protecting him from the blades of light. It fanned out and up like in a minor nuclear explosion of destruction, towards Draco.

"STOP IT!" Hermione screamed.

Draco cast a shield charm, and ducked low as the fire engulfed him like the mouth of a dragon swallowing its prey. To the spectators in the great hall, all there was to see was a great ball of flame, gaining in fuel and thunder as power poured from Blaise's finger tips. Fire was filling the room and gaining in momentum, and Blaise's skin was starting to glow a faint red. He stood with his left arm extended, fire pouring forth, his wand resting at his right side, and his expression completely blank.

Draco stood his ground, still casting his shield charm as his hair melted and his skin was scorched. He didn't know how much longer he could maintain the shield, and could feel it flickering with failure, when the fire stopped.

Draco stood up, registering two things. Goyle was on the floor, covered in curse marks, and Hermione was now standing between himself and certain death.

He had used his two most powerful spells, the two finishing moves used to kill an opponent, short of using an unforgivable, and both were ineffectual against Blaise.

"That's enough." Hermione spat with finality.

"Move." Blaise said, his expression was far away, and he spoke with a deadened voice.

"No."

"Move… this isn't something you can interfere in."

"NO!" She said more vehemently.

"Move, or I'll move you." He said, raising his wand.

"Then do it!" She challenged. "You've obviously lost all sense of yourself, so go on and attack me, why don't you?"

"Ms. Granger!" Snape snapped. "Get out of the way you stupid girl, this is an honor bound ritual…"

"I don't care!" She screamed, not taking her eyes of Blaise. "They're just words Blaise! They don't change the reality of the situation, or the truth in our hearts. Words don't mar you like curses, all they do is damage your so called honor… but what is honor, Blaise? Some abstraction of culturally imposed beliefs! Are you going to promote the injustice of pure-blooded society by buying into to those beliefs… by taking part in this barbaric ritual of vindication! Blaise, you're giving the social construct of patrician society validity by participating, is that what you want? And for what? For words?"

"You don't understand." He said coldly, his voice as detached as his eyes.

"Why? Because I'm a mudblood!" The merest trace of anger flickered in his eyes when he heard the word. For a moment, he looked normal again.

"I told you not to call yourself that. Now move."

"It used to hurt." Hermione said, her voice full of passion. "It used to hurt so bad, and once I actually hit Malfoy for it… but this year you taught me something… you taught me to respect myself because no one else would do it for me. And then I realized something, words only have the power which you give to them. People only have power over you if you relinquish it to them. Anger, hatred and despair can only consume you when you let it… **but you have the choice!**

"Are you going to give power to those words? Are you going to validate those accusations… Blaise! They don't mean anything if you don't let them! Do you choose to be a hypocrite Blaise? To tell me not to call myself a mudblood or get angry over it, and you yourself cannot resist drawing your wand on something similar?" His body was still exuding a fait red-glow, but his eyes were starting to flicker. His breathing was erratic, like he was trying to regain control of himself.

She tentatively walked closer to him.

"Or do you choose to believe in your own words? To give meaning to your own beliefs.. and live the way you choose to… and not they way that was chosen for you." She was right in front of him.

He was still looking at Malfoy, his wand pointing right at the other's heart, but there was unease in his eyes.

"I can't stop it now." He whispered.

"Please Blaise.." She said, taking his free hand -which was clenched in rage- in hers. "Its not worth it." His breathing was heavier now, and the glow of his skin was still intense. This close, she could see that his irises, normally a deep amber, were a fiery red, and seemed to move like a burning fire.

Hermione realized, when she took in the sight of his eyes, that she was terrified of him. Is this what the Slytherins knew? Had they seen him like this before? Had they felt the magic he exuded like a palpable cloud of power that constricted the breathing and sped the heart? Was this why no one grew close to him?

What a sad life, to be powerful, and live with others in constant fear of you. And although she was scared, and sweating in fear, at that moment, she felt sorry for him.

Slowly, she put her arms around his thin waste like she'd done before, only this time, they were both trembling, he with rage, and she with fear.

"Please …" Hermione whispered, her ear pressed against his chest as she listened to the furious beating of his heart. "Please…" Her hands felt the tightness of his back, straight and poised for battle. "Please…" His breathing was slowing down, though still heavy. "They're just words." She said, unable to stifle a sob, and her shoulders began to shake as more came afterward.

Then, miraculously, the muscles loosened, and his wand arm dropped to his side.

Hermione found herself crying even harder, this time with relief.

It was over.

She heard a shriek of relief from somewhere near by, and knew Narcissa must be hurrying over to her son.

Hermione looked up, about to smile, when she felt it. She looked down at her hands, which were - to her great surprise- glowing white. She looked over her shoulder.

Pansy and Narcissa had taken several steps back as Draco too, was glowing white.

The noose which had constricted her neck since the first life debt had been initiated, loosened, and she knew right then and there… that she had saved Draco Malfoy's life.

Her heart stopped. Her body turned to ice. She was completely shocked by one solid and insurmountable fact:

Blaise had been about to _kill_ Draco.

Her hand was clutching the hand of a murderer, and when she turned her face to his, she saw no remorse, only cold nothingness.

She froze, and did not know how long she stood there, just staring at him in disbelief; Her mouth slightly ajar, her eyes wide, her heart ice.

Blaise was not looking at her, he was staring at the decimated wall, right next to the door that led to the entrance hall with a detached expression.

Hermione only moved when she felt a hand on the small of her back. She jumped.

Blaise's mother had approached her, her hand an intense heat compared to the frost of shock that surrounded and penetrated her.

"Hermione Granger, I presume." She said, her hand agonizingly warm against Hermione's skin. "Morgan Sinistra." She held out her hand, and took Hermione's, a curious and calculating look on her beautiful face. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Well there it is… the long awaited fight scene. I hope I didn't disappoint, I don't know if I'm very good at these things.

I'd really like some feed back on the fight scene and how the characters are developing. So make sure you shoot me a review.

**Thanks to everyone who put me at 188! **

**Natali: **No sorry, this is a Draco/Hermione story… but, there will be a lot more Hermione/Blaise in the lead up to Draco coming around.

**Jexi: **I was honestly considering that option from the very beginning, but then I thought I had enough of a plot in the alternative ending for an entirely different story.

**Prayyshoez: **It's a Draco/Hermione story. Read the text carefully.

**Bold gravy: **First of all: nice name. Secondly: thanks for the review. I'm struggling to write all the ideas I have for stories, I hope you'll keep with this one tho, even if I don't update regularly.

**Willow fairy: **Grammatical errors? I check each chapter some ten times before I post. If you make me paranoid for no reason I won't post often. Please point it out next time so I can correct the chapter. Appreciate it.

**Dizzydragon: **Does that mean you don't want to do it? Cause I had someone else offer. If you are still interested, email me at imuttard at gmu dot edu

**Cf8work4u: **Uh, yeah, more reviews would be nice. You can help by adding lots more!

**Ehlonna: **MMM, at least you know why Blaise is so protective over Ursula.. see, I'm slowly revealing things right? I'll spell it out a bit more next chapter. But here is a hint so you can keep your hair: Blaise is not crushing on Hermione yet and Draco is DEFINITELY not crushing on her at all. You'll see more of Draco's feelings about this whole business in the 18th chapter.

**Nevermind2: **How was that for feelings? Yeah, the next chapter is just as dramatic.

**Kristina Chang: **Don't bother looking at Summer Days.. no one likes it very much and I'll most likely delete it until I am ready to finish it. I've realized I can only write two stories at once, and I'm already commited to _Kaya's Fall_ (an original fiction) in addition to this one.

**Kricket x0: **Yeah, Hermione will enter bitch mode in chapter 18. You'll see more of the feisty, bossy Hermione JK created… And Draco will also turn back into a bastard. Attribute their OOCness to stress. Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate the feedback.

**Word E. Smith: **Don't you realize? Harry is already a punk… look how JK describes him. Baggy clothes, scruffiness, high toped trainers, messy hair… Harry just screams "grunge" at me when I read about him. And as for the singing, I'll explain how that came about in a later chapter. It makes sense, really it does. You'll see.

This is a Draco/Hermione story.. but there will be more Blaise/Hermione leading up to Draco's enlightenment or whatever.

**Maddys-Murphy: **The fight wasn't over Hermione, that wouldn't make any sense. Draco doesn't like her yet. Anyway, you're right about the testosterone tho.. the boys need to simmah-down-nah!

**Cathyb: **Hope I don't disappoint.

**Surrounded by idiots: **LMAO, ROFL… your reviews made me laugh. You had one question answered in this chapter… the rest are coming v. soon along with the synergy potion and the return of Blaise.

**Ambrosiaflame: **That always happens to me.. I'm supposed to be studying and instead I start reading fiction. Well, that's why I've only got a 3.4 instead of my goal of 3.5! I'll never get my masters if I keep that up… so study woman!

**El Ci Ache Johnson: **Thank you. Draco will never leave his shell! He is a MALFOY! See chapter 18 for snarkiness. **Quiz from my eugenics class: **I am an artist and avid animal rights activist. I am a vegetarian and constantly lobby (or did when I was alive) for animal rights and against cruelty to animals. I enjoy painting and sketching, though you would not think so when you first think of me. Who am i? (Hint: This is a historical figure. This questions is significant, see if you can't guess!)

**Undying at Midsummer: **Go back and read chapter three for the rest of Blaise's note. As for the ceiling, remember in chapter one when I said that Voldemort was using his blood tie to the school (cause he's the heir of slytherin) to bring it down… that's why the ceiling caved. That same magic will be used to restore the school by Hermione and Draco.

**Islandmpchagurl: **That's a secret. (Sore wa himistu desu)

**Machina Al Bhed Chick: **I know, it's horrible isn't it! Wait till chapter 18 to get the answer to your question.

**Emily: **Yes I want your help. Your email didn't post so could you post it again, or just email me at imuttard at gmu dot edu. If you are going to post your email, make sure you put it in the email section and not in the body of the review please. But yes, I'd definitely like your help because people have been pointing out grammatical errors and that's embarrassing. Thanks for the offer, can't wait to hear from you. Oh yeah, IM me at colorofthought – Yeah, I'm not christain either but I need an orthodox catholic to help me with Blaise's character. Do you know anyone? Also, I'll need a Greek speaker. Any takers?

**Lavender-dream, vla1diva, Raven176, princesssugar, pink-lemonaid-87, sporty12gd4u, Stefy, Silver Hanou, Iraine, BrennaM, harryslover, rulerofthedisenchantedforest, hippy1212, bloodyangel, Andie, nikethana, InfinityEstel/sundarmorning, Chocolate loves me, Ashley, Star-Angel23, Melio, cutenrazy, youkoforever, kate-felton, Ryua Malfoy, Kayti, Myonlycat, kiss-of-cuteness, SM together, Equestrianzrule, smellslikecurry, hotredchick, fallenangel: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. **

**And yes, there will be some more Blaise/Hermione before Draco/Hermione shows up. **

**Dragon AND ANYONE ELSE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHO BLAISE IS: **

**Zabini, Blaise **(wizard)  
b. 1980   
Slytherin 1991-98 (SS7)  
Blaise Zabini's gender is now confirmed by JKR: he's a wizard. JKR passed the word along to the Portuguese translation team when they were working on revising the translations of the novels. (6/15/04)

Source: http:www. hp-lexicon. Org / wizards / wizards-v-z .html (remove spaces)

Blaise was mentioned once in the first book, as having been the last student in Harry's class sorted into Slytherin. Blaise is also the third person in Harry's class who is able to see thestrals (see book 5) meaning he has witnessed death. Those are the only things known about him.


	15. Dark Prince

**Chapter Fifteen: Dark Prince**

It was unnerving. She was sitting there, a feral smile on her face, perched in her chair with her rear to one side so she could languish against the other, her legs crossed at the knee, one elbow propped onto the arm rest, extending the hand that her head was tilted against, the other arm demurely laid across her lap, the hand of which was resting on her knee. She looked like a cat that had cornered its evening meal, and was fully intent on a long session of torture before the fatal blow fell.

In short, Morgan Sinistra sat like a queen… the high backed upholstered chair was her throne, and she presided over Hermione like the plebian muggle-born she was.

Hermione, for her part, could not force herself to care. The only thing she could dimly process was the fact that she was in shock. She looked around the room, vaguely taking the finery of it, with its elaborative wall paper, columns of decorative texts stacked neatly on book shelves lining the walls, and Morgan sitting with her chair to the back of a roaring fire, which was all that lit the room, beneath an intricately carved mantle.

Hermione had never been in the side room that led off of the Great Hall. She had been made aware of its existence when Harry walked into it after his name had been called in fourth year for the Tri-wizard tournament, but had never been given occasion to visit it. She would've greatly enjoyed the opportunity, had she not been traumatized minutes ago.

She could only stare around dimly, as Morgan watched her as though she were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen, her eyes eventually coming to rest on her hands, which, moments ago, had glowed with the fulfillment of her first life debt.

She had saved Draco Malfoy.

She continued to stare at her hand in disbelieve.

Blaise had been about to _burn_ Malfoy to _death._ To _kill _him.

Hermione had seen war and death. It was not foreign to her, and the idea of killing was not so onerous that she would avoid it at the cost of her own life. However bad the war affected her, however, she always felt that she could come home to Hogwarts, and be safe.

Death had always been something Hermione associated with being _out there. Out there, _that's where it was unsafe, where the death eaters lurked, the dark lord plotted and the war would come to a head. Hogwarts was always the place they could still pretend they were children, and ignore the burden that was theirs to bear.

Was this real? And if so, when did it become real? When did Hogwarts join the venues of battle? Was there no sanctuary to be had from fighting anymore?

"Did you willingly join Harry Potter's side?" Morgan's words cut into her daze.

"Of course." She whispered, not able to convey the indignity that such an obvious question should normally evoke.

"Though you knew you were committing yourself to fighting for Dumbledore?" She raised a perfectly sculpted eye brow.

Hermione chose not to respond, knowing where this questioning was leading.

"Death is the only thing in this world we can be sure of, Hermione. And only when we consign ourselves to that fate, accept it, can we over come the despair of an indifferent world."

"Now I see where Blaise gets his existentialism from." Hermione replied dully.

Morgan smiled.

"Would you kill to defend what you love?"

"They were just words."

"Oh, and what was the cold war fought over?"

Hermione gapped at her.

"Go on and say it! The war was a war of ideas. Communism and Democracy are ideas formed by words. Humanity fought for those idealistic words, because each side believed in them. How many people died for those ideas, Hermione? How many people would've died if the war had involved the nuclear weapons both sides possessed?

"How can you say that words do not matter, when you are currently committed to this war of ideas, yourself. Purebloods and Mudbloods. You have taken Potter as a friend, and fought along side him for your life. You, perhaps without your realization, have allocated your life's breath for Potter's cause, which in and of itself, it's a battle of words. Of ideas. Of beliefs.

"Good. Evil. Right. Wrong. Truth. Freedom. Justice. These are just words, but they have power so long as people believe in them. And people will fight for what they believe in. Often times they proclaim legends using the very same words, and are fighting simply over the meaning." She snorted. "The great schism that split Christendom and incited former brothers in one faith to battle one another began with one simple word."

"Penitence." Hermione whispered. With the digestion of the Morgan's speech, her world crashing down around her. Morgan was completely right. It was foolish to believe that people could let go of conflicts made by words. Words had caused more war and murder than any other impetus.

Morgan smiled at her again.

"Familiar with Erasmus are you? I must admit, you're more impressive than I had originally anticipated. And I certainly like you more than I ought, given your background."

Hermione felt like she should be angry at the slight about her heritage, but found she couldn't; she was just too shocked.

"My son has good taste." Morgan said at last, her smile becoming feral again.

Hermione was gob smacked.

Blaise. He'd stormed out of the great hall, and out the front doors without a backwards glance, right after Morgan had introduced herself. Hermione vaguely remembered Narcissa and Pansy crying with relief, sobbing all over the crumpled and burnt blond. Morgan steered Hermione into this side room, sat her down on the opposite couch, and ordered tea.

She had no idea where Blaise was, or what he was doing, or what was going to happen. Distantly, she remembered the lack of life-debt between them, and now more than ever, wanted to know the truth. Although she had no idea how she would react if…

After all, he was almost a murderer.

But then, Harry had sworn himself to killing Voldemort. And hadn't Harry went to kill Bellatrix Lestrange to avenge Sirius? However, she didn't fear Harry like she now feared Blaise.

Perhaps that was because Harry never exuded that breath-crushing aura of power; his eyes never blazed red when angry; he didn't have a history of dark arts spanning back to childhood. Fires didn't suddenly die as ice cold hatred spread through the room with his mood. With Harry, his emotions were always transparent.

"I don't get him." She whispered at last.

Morgan laughed. "Maybe I spoke too soon, then." She said with mirth. Hermione just stared at her numbly, unable to believe this woman could laugh when her son had almost killed for her moments ago.

"It's obvious, though he tries desperately to hide it. It's been the same problem since childhood for him, and I think that's what drew him to you initially." Morgan sighed, and looked out at the window, which now framed the falling snow.

"Passion." Morgan said at last, and turned her attention back to the bewildered girl. "Blaise always cared far too much for his friends, for his religion, for his family, and in his beliefs. And he was open about it or at least he used to be, when he was younger. He was open about how much he loved everyone, and how much he loved God." Morgan snorted derisively.

"Someone betrayed him." Hermione remembered he'd mentioned this. Even if Malfoy was the one who started it, they both agreed it had happened. Did that mean they were both betrayed?

"Everyone betrayed him, in his mind at least. Even me." Morgan corrected. "And it broke his heart. From then on, he tried to change it. Tried to make himself as a statue, impervious to the tempest. Rather boring, really: hiding great passion behind a mask of apathy. How very cliché."

Hermione frowned. That was rather harsh in her opinion.

"But he can't change himself. He's still as passionate as he ever was and you know…" Morgan trailed off as she smiled at Hermione again, but this time it was much more warm. "How you acted back there, it reminded me of him when he was younger. How passionate you were, and so open with your feelings. I suppose, he misses it… misses the innocence of it. Exposing your feelings like that implies an automatic trust, which only comes with the naiveté that no one will turn on you with what you have revealed."

"Why are you telling me this." Hermione asked quietly.

"Why indeed." Morgan busied herself with a cup of tea from a tray a house elf brought in. She made a cup for Hermione as well, but the other did not partake. "Perhaps because I know my son more than he'd like to admit, and I know that he would want you to understand, so that you wouldn't be afraid of him."

"Forgive me if I can't help but be a little freaked out right now." Hermione spat, her shock quickly becoming anger.

"And how is it for Harry Potter? Does everyone treat him normally knowing he fought the Dark Lord?"

Again, Hermione didn't answer, knowing a set up when she saw one. Of course no one treated him normally; he was the boy who wouldn't die.

"It's the same for Blaise, only in reverse. They 're beyond scared; they hate him." Morgan said.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Don't be stupid and pretend you haven't noticed how people treat my son." Hermione slowly nodded in acknowledgement. "The ones who grew up with him and who've seen him upset like this before are especially bad. He's been isolated this entire time because neither he nor his housemates have shown any inclination to - "

The door burst open behind Hermione's back. She heard it bang against the opposite book shelf, and jumped. But she didn't need to turn around to know who it was, because the fire rose up in a roar just then, filling the entire room with burning hot anger.

Morgan hadn't budged. She stood in her seat like a queen, and surveyed the new comer with only mild interest.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes!" Hissed Blaise, slamming the door shut behind him. He came round the couch so Hermione could see him, but he didn't look at her. "What have you been telling her?"

Hermione could see that his irises were still red, though his skin had stopped exuding the faint red glow that reminded Hermione of the amulet stored underneath her shirt. His fists trembled slightly in his anger, and possibly from the cold. He'd been out in the snow in nothing but his uniform, and his reddened nose, and white dust in his hair attested to it.

"Spare us the histrionics Angelo." Morgan drawled.

The fire roared up again, threatening to set fire to the immaculate mantle that framed it, and the finely upholstered throne Morgan sat on.

"Do control yourself, before your burn down the whole castle with that temper." He opened his mouth to speak but she cut across him with a voice that was just as frightening as Blaise's displays of wandless magic. "Sit down!" she spat, in a tone only a mother could master.

Blaise reluctantly flopped down on the opposite end of the couch Hermione occupied.

"Carus, one of your seals has been broken. That hasn't happened since..well.. six and a half years ago. You aren't used to having to deal with it consciously, and so you're naturally over emotional. Taking this into account, you must make a more pronounced effort to control your emotions. If you don't, I doubt the castle will survive much longer. Dark lord be damned!"

Hermione didn't dare look at him directly, but could see from her peripheral vision, that he was still very agitated.

"Now," Morgan said, her stern expression twisting in to a large smile, "You needn't worry about what I've been telling Hermione. I was simply trying to make her understand - "

"Dumbledore made me swear never to talk about it. It was a condition of letting me come here." Blaise butted in, his voice filled with irritation the like of which Hermione had never heard from his mouth. He always seemed so cool and calm before, but now she knew that it was all just an act.

Morgan's smile was becoming disturbing. Her eyes were locked on her son, her expression becoming dewy.

"How cute." Morgan said at last.

Blaise stood up angrily and walked over to the window.

"It's just… I've never seen you with someone you fancy." Morgan explained, in a poor attempt to lessen her son's anger.

"I don't know why you're here." Blaise began, his voice more tight, but better controlled. "But if that's the reason, I'm sorry to disappoint you. It's all fake. We're just pretending to date so we don't get in trouble."

The smile was wiped from Morgan's face. She turned in her seat to look at her son better.

With his back turned away from them both, Blaise stood very close to the window near the corner, so that his breath misted the glass. The sky was white from the falling snow, which seemed to carry its own light, casting Blaise in a moon-like glow from Hermione's vantage point. It vaguely reminded her of when she'd seen him in the hospital wing that night he'd come to help her.

"You really must think terribly of me. You think I'm going to rub it in your face or - " Morgan began.

"No." He cut her off, never turning to either of them. "I _know_ you're going to rub it in my face. How I said I'd never get involved with anyone or ever get married. I meant it, and I haven't. It's just because Snape almost caught us when we went after the empathy spell."

Morgan's eyes widened and she stood up, immediately alert with interest.

"Did you get it?" she breathed.

He made an impatient noise, and closed his eyes in irritation.

"You did." Morgan's sinister smirk was back.

"I knew you had a reason for coming." He muttered darkly.

She responded by drawing and releasing a huge and theatrical breath.

"Can't I ever do right by you? Is it so hard to believe that I came here to see you get an award like any normal parent would?"

"Yes." He responded without preamble.

She sighed, and frowned.

"I'm really a terrible mother, aren't I?" she asked, and approached her son's side.

Hermione couldn't help but be taken aback once again by their similar faces.

"You really want me to believe you came here just for that. When Ursula's been taking every opportunity to tell me what a bad boy I'm being. I've no doubt she's been writing to you about all this." Blaise said.

Morgan smiled. "She's just worried about you. But yes, you are correct, she has been owling me with reports of your new _social life_."

"Snape knows I know, and now he's cross with her. It seems she's coping with it by trying to '_ruin_' my '_relationship_' the same as I've done with hers." He said. That made his mother laugh.

"I will not deny that I was curious, when you've never even looked at a pretty girl, much less actually dated one." Morgan said and laughed again. "She was starting to worry you were, shall we say… of a different sort."

Blaise snorted.

"That's right. I'm in love with Malfoy." He sneered sarcastically. Hermione gapped at their backs.

"Believe it or not!" Morgan began, laughter in her voice. "That was one of the theories."

Hermione knew he was rolling his eyes.

"I don't want to be with anyone. I just want to be left alone. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?" said Blaise, quietly.

"Because it isn't true; even you haven't been able to push everyone away." Morgan countered.

Blaise sighed. "Listen, we needed the empathy magic for the synergy potion. And why are we making the synergy potion? So we can go back to the Slytherin dorms, and **I** can go back to being alone. That's why I'm doing all of this. It's just bad luck that we almost got caught and have to keep up this façade." Said Blaise.

"What potion did you use to interrogate Snape?" Morgan asked.

"Dormis Veritas." Blaise replied.

"So what went wrong?"

"He woke up." Blaise said tightly.

"He couldn't have." Morgan said, her brows furrowing.

"He did." Blaise replied shortly.

"Well then someone didn't add enough wormwood. My own son making a potion improperly! You are the shame of the family."

Blaise snorted. "Malfoy added the wormwood, then again, he was distracted 'cause Hermione cut her finger." Blaise said, his London accent becoming heavier with irritation. Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Ah-ha, now things make sense to me. Somethings never change; you boys have never stopped competing." Blaise had nothing to say in response to that.

There was a protracted pause as they stared out, watching the snow fall.

Hermione was quite sure they had forgotten she was there, which was fine with her. She was just considering sneaking out when Morgan said: "You got it?" in an overly casual voice.

"Yes." Blaise responded shortly. There was another long pause.

"Well, are you going to give it to me?" she asked. Blaise gave a fake little laugh.

"And we're back to normality. Glad to see you've stopped trying to play the dutiful mother. No, I'm not giving it to you." She looked mutinous. "Not until I'm out of school. I'm already on probation as it is, and I'm not going to put any more suspicion on me than necessary. Snape knows someone broke into his rooms, he's probably figured out which potion he was slipped. All we need is for you to come out with some new potion that involves magical empathy, a guild kept trade secret, and the whole thing comes together. You can wait."

Morgan pouted, but she knew he wouldn't budge.

"If that's all, you can go home." He said, and rested his forehead against the cold glass pane.

Morgan looked at her son rather sadly.

"It wasn't my intention to ruin your award and to have you fight." She said. He didn't respond. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I know you hate fighting. I know you hate using your gifts. But didn't I try to convince Narcissa to let it go?" Silence.

"_Gifts_." He said in disgust, at last. "I'm so **sick** of everything. I'm sick of this stupid blood feud. I'm sick of this stupid school. I'm sick of being me. I… I just want to be normal."

Morgan put an arm around her son's shoulders.

"But that can't happen. So I'd rather be alone. I just want to get away from everyone and never be seen again." His voice was almost a whisper.

Hermione had never heard anyone quite so hopeless. Again, the pity she felt for him overrode her feelings of fear.

"Blaise." Morgan said, turning him away from the window to face her, while petting his hair in a soothing way. "My Angelo… My Dark Prince."

Blaise couldn't suppress a smile when she said that, and she smiled back at him.

"Please don't be angry with me." Morgan said. "You're all I have. You're the only person in the world whose stayed with me through everything."

"I'm not mad at you." He muttered, now feeling ashamed of his outburst.

"Yes you are. And I'll not pretend you aren't with in your rights. Being a teenager and all." He gave a wry smile again. "But I do hate to see you so full of despair, and I am still your mother, even if I haven't been the best one in the world." He didn't reply, but he kept his eyes on the ground as she continued to stroke his hair and pat his back comfortingly. "I know you were going to stay at Hogwarts over the break to finish that project with the Malfoy boy, but why don't you come home this year instead. Why don't we spend this holiday together?"

He turned away and- after hesitating as he deliberated- nodded mutely.

"Well then, you best get packed." Blaise nodded again, but didn't move. He seemed reluctant to leave the room.

Morgan looked from him to Hermione who was still sitting on the couch quietly, and she smiled.

"Well…" Morgan began, but the opening door interrupted her sentence. "Ursula!"

"Morgan…. I'm sorry I didn't greet you properly when you came in… everything happened so fast." Professor Sinistra said as she shut the door and walked over to Blaise's mother.

As Professor Sinistra leaned in to hug and kiss Morgan on both cheeks, Hermione noticed the unmistakable similarity in their looks. She remembered they had the same last name. They had to be sisters, and that made Professor Sinistra Blaise's aunt. Suddenly, everything made sense. Of course Blaise was protective over his aunt!

Hermione's heart lightened a little bit as she watched the Sinistra sisters embracing, and exchanging light chatter. She felt a little easier having figured out some of the mysteries of the dark boy she'd come to know this past month.

"Well, you'll both be happy to know that Professor Dumbledore agrees with me that Blaise was provoked, and fully with in his rights to propose a dual of honor. That Narcissa Black was completely out of line!" Ursula was saying to the two of them.

Blaise had resumed staring out of the window, and did not turn and acknowledge his aunt, nor the news she had brought.

"Go on dear, he's in a bit of a snit." Morgan said, when Ursula paused and waited for Blaise to respond.

"Yes… So, there will be no punishment for either of you. He's disappointed the situation happened, of course, but was very pleased with Blaise's show of restraint." Professor Sinistra finished, and to Hermione's great surprise, the astronomy teacher turned and beamed at her. "I must admit, I had my fare share of misgivings, but in the end I was completely wrong. Far from making him lose his temper…"

Blaise turned and walked out of the room before Professor Sinistra could finish.

The door slammed shut behind him, making the fire flicker for the last time.

"Really!" Ursula snapped, indignant. "He's been like that for ages now! What is the problem?" And to Hermione's horror, Professor Sinistra directed the question towards her.

"Umm… I don't know." She lied. Professor Sinistra looked highly doubtful, but she simply sighed and sat down in one of the high backed chairs heavily.

Morgan patted her hand.

"It's just our luck with men. The Sinistra's must have some kind of curse when it comes to men." Ursula continued, veering irrevocably off the subject.

"It's the Greek temperament." Morgan said sagely.

"Greek?" Hermione asked. The Sinistra sisters raised their eye brows.

"Surely you know we're all Greek: myself, my sister, Professor Snape, and, of course, Blaise. Blaise must've mentioned it to you." Morgan said, giving Hermione a strange look. Hermione shook her head in the negative, and silence reigned.

"I was wondering." Hermione asked, as the question she'd been contemplating since Morgan first introduced herself simmered to the top of her thoughts. "Is it typical for witches not to change their name?"

Ursula's face became tight with worry behind Morgan's back.

"It's just…" Hermione felt the need to justify herself incase she'd asked something terribly rude. "Your name… and Professor Sinistra just said 'Narcissa Black.' So I wondered."

Morgan made a brave attempt at smiling, and said: "Narcissa and Ursula went to school together, so Ursula is simply accustomed to using that name. As for myself, I took back my maiden name, after Blaise's father and myself finalized our divorce."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A little later, Hermione found herself standing in the hall in front of the great hall. She'd said her goodnights, and left the Sinistra sisters to chat. Morgan had seemed reluctant to let Hermione go, and asked if Hermione would visit over the summer holiday. Hermione agreed, while silently thinking she'd never step foot into that woman's presence again if she could help it, and left.

She was standing in the entrance hall, looking at the large gaping hole to the left of the door in the wall. The hole was near the staff table, and gave a view all the way across the hall where the door to the side room that held the Sinistra sisters stood. She was just staring at it, trying to process or feel through the nagging feeling of persistent shock.

She continued to stare at the decimated wall, and wondered what that spell would have done to Malfoy if it had actually hit him. Would he be like this wall? Nothing more than a pile of dust?

A strange and uncomfortable feeling rose up … a vague, panicky feeling. She wondered where Malfoy was, and if he was ok. She remembered he was able to stand on his own after the fight had ended, but his robes had been burned and some of his hair had melted. He was probably in the hospital wing.

She cringed with guilt, and continued to feel worse the longer she thought about him. It was partially her fault the fight had happened. If they hadn't saved her, there wouldn't be any awards given, and neither Morgan nor Mrs. Malfoy would've come to the school. The fight never would've taken place. She briefly wished she had her time turner back, but the damage was done.

Her feet turned automatically, and started to walk. It was a strange sensation that accompanied her: wanting to see him, to make sure he was alright, while simultaneously never wanting to look at him again. She sighed, wanting now more than ever, to just disappear and avoid dealing with everything.

She stopped abruptly in front of the doors to the hospital wing, pausing in indecision. What if he was angry with her for causing or stopping the fight? What if he didn't want to see her? What if Mrs. Malfoy was in there? What would she say to the girl who'd helped put her husband in jail?

Angry voices cut off her musings. The voices were muffled beyond the ability to make out what they were saying, but she thought she could at least recognize it was Harry who was speaking. Curiosity getting the better of her yet again, she quietly pushed open the door to the wing.

"Just answer the question, Malfoy." Harry hissed. He sounded extremely angry.

Hermione padded in, taking great care in making sure the door made no noise as it shut, and that her heels did not click against the stone floor.

The voices were coming from behind a set of privacy screens towards the back of the ward. She couldn't see any of them, nor could they see her as she approached.

"We have a right to know." Ron was saying. "Is he going to hurt Hermione?"

"Why don't you two just leave him alone, he obviously doesn't want to-" Pansy could be heard saying.

"She's our best friend, we're just doing for her what you would be doing for Parkinson." Harry said reasonably. "Is Zabini dangerous?"

"Obviously!" Pansy spat back.

"Is he a danger to Hermione?" Ron clarified, annoyed.

"Please Malfoy." Harry pleaded, his voice was full of genuine concern, and Hermione could feel heart constricting with joy that her friends cared about her so much. Still, they could've been a bit smarter about their method of protection, and stayed close to her right after the incident, instead of leaving her alone with Blaise and his capricious mother.

Malfoy's voice finally responded, cutting off her thoughts.

"I can't answer that question Potter." He sounded tired, and slightly forlorn. "If you had asked me seven years ago if Blaise Zabini would hurt anyone, I would've told you: 'He couldn't hurt a fly.'" He paused and Hermione inched forward. "I don't know who he is anymore. That's why I can't answer your question," Malfoy finished.

"Well, I can." A cold, hissing, female voice said at once. Narcissa Malfoy was clearly pissed. "That _child_ is **evil**." She breathed, her words heavy with emotion. "A killer, plain and simple. He proved it to everyone ages ago! Nothing good has ever come from him or any of his cursed ilk. The whole lot of them should be put down!" Hermione couldn't see Mrs. Malfoy, but she imagined her lip was curled as it had been at the Quidditch World Cup.

Hermione inched forward to see if she could get a better look without being seen. Quietly she moved until she could see through the narrow gap where the two curtains met. Draco was sitting sideways on the bed, his back to Hermione and the door. His legs were hanging off the right side. She noticed that his shirt was off, and he appeared to have some purple goo appended to various spots on his left arm. There was also a shiny pinkish spot of… something… on his back, although she couldn't quite make out what it was.

Mrs. Malfoy and Pansy were standing to the right of the bed, facing Draco, but with their faces currently turned towards Harry and Ron, who were standing at the end of the bed.

Just as expected, Mrs. Malfoy's face was full of disdain and her lip was curled. "Especially…" She continued heatedly, her eyes fixed on her son. "That _woman!"_

"Ms. Granger?" The unexpected hiss of Severus Snape made Hermione jump. She wheeled around to find Professors Snape and Madame Pomfrey walking into the ward from the door she'd just come in from. Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape were both carrying trays with various bottles on them, presumably to finish patching Draco up.

Turning back around slowly, she saw Ron and Harry had moved from behind the curtain where they had been standing to look down the ward. She waved to them sheepishly, realizing she'd been caught eavesdropping. She stepped forward reluctantly until she was at the foot of the bed, next to Harry and Ron, and in full view of everyone behind the curtain.

Malfoy's eyes widened as they caught sight of her and he quickly twisted him self on the bed to face her, pressing his back against the pillows and bedpost. His lips immediately formed a disdainful sneer. He was angry with her; that was obvious.

"I just… I just wanted to see if you were alright." Hermione studdered quietly, her eyes plastered to her shoes. She shot him small glances to gage his anger and could see his face contorting further at this pronouncement. She also noticed that the left side of his body seemed to have incurred some rather nasty burns and that he was missing several locks of hair where it had melted due to the intense heat of Blaise's spell.

She tried to imagine what kind of heat it must take to melt someone's hair, clothes, and burn someone's skin through a defensive shield, and found that line of thought being cut off by the numbness that a situation as _real_ as this always produced. She knew that Malfoy had almost died, but at the same time, it was so unreal to her.

"Get lost." Malfoy hissed.

"Oi." Ron protested.

"Mr. Weasley, _kindly_ **get out**. Take Potter and Granger with you." Snape commanded with a sneer as he approached the bed.

Harry's eyes darted from Malfoy to Snape and then back to Malfoy.

"I want my question answered first." Harry said in a low and dangerous voice. Hermione could tell that no one in the room was angrier than Harry, who was visibly struggling with himself not to hex the woman who had ordered Krecher to lie to him, and sealed his godfather's fate.

Pansy's irritated huff brought Hermione's attention away from her frustrated best friend. "What do you think Potter? Zabini could've fried her when she got in the way, but he didn't."

Hermione's brows knitted. They were talking about Blaise like he had no empathy. Couldn't they all see how depressed he was?

"That's true." Ron admitted. "Any one who interferes with a Dual of Honor or a blood feud can be dealt with by the combatants, legally." He added as an after thought.

"So that means he cares enough not to hurt you physically." Harry muttered to himself darkly, looking at the opposite wall while wearing a pensive expression.

"In public, at least." Ron added, just as dark.

"I believe I instructed the three of you to LEAVE!" Snape snapped at them harshly. He set down the tray he was carrying and pointed to the door.

"Of course, _Sir._" Harry spat back, and, with one last glare at Mrs. Malfoy, he turned to leave, Ron following.

"I'm sorry." Hermione mumbled to the floor, and made to leave as well.

"Wait." Narcissa Malfoy's voice was quietly disdainful, but made Hermione pause all the same.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione asked slowly, dreading the tirade that was sure to come. The blond woman's lips tightened as she looked at Hermione. Hermione felt the heat of anger and disdain filling her. How dare this _woman_ look down on her after she'd helped murder her own cousin and contributed to nearly getting Hermione and her friends killed.

"Th-Thank you.. For protecting my son." Narcissa said quietly, making Hermione deflate.

Hermione wasn't sure what to say to that. Draco was the one that had protected her, and she was merely returning the favor and fulfilling her lifedebt. Common human decency demanded that she step in, even with out the presence of the lifedebt, but she somehow felt that Mrs. Malfoy would not understand an abstract ideal like morality. After all, you've got to have a warped sense of right and wrong to marry a slave to a megalomaniac and try to get a bunch of teenagers, who are the same age as your son, killed.

Deciding politeness was best, Hermione said: "It was your son who protected…"

"Shove off Granger." Draco interrupted in a harsh voice.

"Now, now, Draco…" Narcissa said in a sympathetic voice.

"I…" Hermione began, annoyed that Draco was dismissing her and deciding it was time for some pay back. "I also. thought you ought to know…" She looked up at Draco, whose face was still angry, but now curious as well. "Blaise is going home with his mum." Draco's eyes widened.

"What!" Pansy snapped. "He can't!"

"He is." Hermione replied shortly.

"Severus, is this true?" Narcissa asked. Snape's lip curled and he nodded. "Well, that will put my heart to rest, as you insist on staying here for the holiday." Her voice held genuine relief.

"What's the point of staying if he's not here!" Pansy huffed.

"And what is so important about _that boy's_ presence, might I ask?" Narcissa turned a cold and calculating look upon Pansy. The redhead blushed and looked at Draco.

"Pansy is having trouble in transfiguration and Zabini and I both agreed to help her, but I'm not as good at explaining things as he is." Draco lied quickly.

"I didn't know you were friends with _that boy._" Narcissa continued suspiciously.

"I'm not… but he agreed to help so that in exchange for which… I would set him up with Gr--Hermione." Hermione's jaw dropped. "Typical Slytherin: he got what he wanted already so he's not going to come through with his end." Pansy continued easily, her face betraying none of the signs of lying.

"Set… up?" Narcissa gaped. "On a date?"

"Oh, and since when are you close enough to Ms. Granger to… _set her up?_" Snape snapped in a silky voice. His overly large nostrils were dilating as though he could _smell _the lie.

"All I needed to do was tell her that _poor Zabini_ had no friends because no one would give him a chance, but he really, really fancied her and owned a lot of books, and Granger was all over him." Pansy lied smoothly. Hermione made a noise like an angry cat. Draco's face twisted in disgust.

"Ms. Parkinson, I do believe you and Ms. Granger should leave so that I can see to my patient." Madame Pomfrey said, in hopes that she could waylay the tantrum that Hermione seemed on the verge of throwing.

"Right!" Pansy agreed, a little too quickly. "Feel better Draco, we'll see you tomorrow." She said swiftly, while bending and pecking him on the cheek. She turned on her heel, marched up to Hermione, grabbed the still shocked Gryffindor, and pulled her from the ward.

"That.. That _boy_ is _seeing_ … Potter's little friend?" Narcissa gasped, after the doors to the wing had slammed shut behind the two girls. Narcissa turned her incredulous question on Snape, who regarded her with a warning expression in response. Narcissa's eyes flicked towards Madame Pomfrey, who was busy applying purple goo to the remainder of Draco's burns, before falling into a silent contemplation.

Why had word not reached her yet? And more importantly, what would happen when _**He** _found out about the amorous attention the boy was paying towards Potter's mudblood. The only thing Narcissa Malfoy knew was that she had no desire to be the one to tell the Dark Lord. He would not be pleased.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What the hell was all that about!" Hermione hissed, wrenching her wrist away from the smaller girl's grip.

"I had to cover somehow! I'm not allowed to be friends with Zabini, not that I'd want to or anything. My parents would skin me!" Pansy snapped back.

There were so many things that went through Hermione's mind at that moment. There were so many things she'd like to respond with. Anger was boiling inside her, mixed with indignation, fear and the merest flavor of despair.

First she was told to stay out a ridiculous fight because she "wouldn't understand." Then _that woman _sits her down and, with a few questions, disassembles her entire argument, making her feel like an idiot; then Professor Sinistra finally admits that it might not be such a bad thing to let a muggleborn date her nephew, as though it were an atrocity to begin with. After that, there was Mrs. Malfoy, looking at her like scum; Draco, telling her to kiss off like she hadn't just saved his life; and Pansy, telling a ridiculous lie of manipulating Hermione into dating Blaise, which everyone in the room seemed to automatically accept, just like they automatically accepted the inferiority of muggleborns.

Hermione thought of all of these things, and idea of snapping Pansy's head off was very appealing to her at the moment. Instead, she mastered the impulse to curse the small redhead, and instead turned on her heel and stormed off for some much needed contemplation time.

Pansy stared after the muggleborn as she tore down the hallway and out of view.

"Mental." She muttered, and followed at a slower pace.

By the time Hermione was back in the Gryffindor common room, her brain had already started to work on processing the day's events. The common room was alight with chatter about the fight they had seen. Her fellow Gryffindors were talking about it as though it had been some kind of spectacular show. The Slytherins were perfectly stoic, however, and looked as though they had lost one of their number in earnest. Talk fell silent as people noticed her arrival. Harry and Ron stood up and made their way over to her.

"What did she want?" Harry asked quietly. He said "she" like it was a dirty word.

"Just to thank me." Hermione replied, the tiredness in her voice surprised her.

"Mrs. Malfoy thanked you!" Ron gasped. Hermione nodded in reply.

"That's not all." She said, wondering if it was even important. "She knows." Harry understood what Hermione meant. He had been afraid of that.

"Listen Hermione…" Harry began, and just like he had understood, she too knew what he was about to say.

"He's gone isn't he?" She interrupted. Harry looked at Ron uneasily, before returning his gaze to Hermione and nodding. She sighed. "What? Did he say something?"

"No. He wouldn't speak to anyone. He just grabbed his stuff and left without a word. But." Harry paused. "Before he left he went up the girls' staircase."

"He couldn't have, it's charmed against letting boys in." Hermione said.

"He did." Ron said. His brows were creased with worry. "Listen Hermione…" He repeated, but plowed on before she could interrupt. "We just want you to be safe, maybe it's not a good idea to, you know, keep on with Zabini."

The common room was silent as everyone listened in.

"I'll be careful Ron, but I really don't think you have anything to worry about."

Ron looked at Harry for support. But Harry, having learned his lesson from watching Ron's and Hermione's fight over her date for the yule ball in fourth year, was not at all keen on discussing her relationship with a certain Slytherin, no matter how much he distrusted the man. Therefore, he shrugged and looked away. Ron sighed, and looked around for Ginny to support his argument.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to bed." Hermione said, before her friends could team up against her. What did it matter anyway? She wouldn't be seeing him for an entire month, and it wasn't like her relationship with Blaise was real. Right now, she just wanted to be alone.

She didn't wait for a response, but stepped around her friends and made her way, wearily up the girls' stair case. She immediately sensed something off in the room, when she entered. The fire was out and the place had a cold and un-lived in feeling to it. Hermione pointed her wand at the fire and it sprang up, giving light to the room, and casting a glow on to her own bed. As she approached, she noticed a package lay on her pillow.

Hermione stopped and stared. The package was a deep emerald box, the lid held on by white twine wound round it. A bit of folded parchment had been placed under one of the cords that held the lid on. Hermione knew, looking at it, that it was not an early Christmas present. She sat down on her bed, picked up the box and set it on her lap. She plucked at the note and opened it with apprehensive, trembling fingers.

The note was short and to the point:

"_If you do not want to wait till I return, add the entire vial. It will strengthen your magic. The two of you should be enough to do it. _

_I'm sorry,_

_BZ"_

There was a dot of ink before the line that read "I'm sorry." Hermione could tell he paused for a moment, quill poised, about to write something else, but decided against it, and finished the letter with his regrets. She wondered what it was he didn't say.

Hermione's brow furrowed in thought. She slowly undid the twine and pulled off the lid. There, in a cylindrical bottle, was at least two liters of dragon's blood. She gasped and quickly closed the lid. She was not supposed to be in possession of the substance in school.

She laughed a little then, as her nerves calmed down where they had been jittering. What had she been expecting? Declarations of love? A gift of roses?

Blaise was not her boyfriend, nor was he even fond of her. What he happened to be, was a depressed and lonely boy, conflicted by the identity he had grown into, and the one he attempted to project. Behind that cold mask of apathy, was a tumult of despair and passion that leaked out in the odd hot/cold flashes she'd come to associate with his moods. But what did that really tell her about him? Nothing.

Had she been growing fond of him, when she didn't even know who he was? The thought was laughable. Who was he? Did anyone know him? Really know him?

His mother claimed to understand him "better than he thought" she did. She had said he did not enjoy violence, and judging by the reflection of his grief stricken face against the window pane, that appeared to be true. His mother had said he was gifted, and that was, of course, obvious. She'd seen Harry use wandless magic on occasion, but Blaise's display was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Gifted seemed to be an understatement. His mother had also called him a number of names. "Carus" meaning dearest in Latin, "Angelo" meaning angel in Greek, and the final name, the one that made him smile: "Dark Prince."

Hermione had always associated the title of "prince" with Malfoy. His fair hair, gray eyes, and superior demeanor made him look the part of a prince. That, and he walked around like he owned Hogwarts and commanded the Slytherins like they were his faithful subjects. Despite his horrid personality; however, Hermione had never seen him as "dark." Maybe because he had always been just a bully to her: cruel but mostly harmless.

Blaise, with his deep bronze skin, dark brown hair, fiery red eyes, sarcastic comments, and deep despair looked the epitome of dark. Darkness seemed to follow him like a storm cloud, and exemplify his very being.

Hermione stared down at the box as she contemplated the two boys; one to whom she still owed a lifedebt and the other to whom she owed her life but without the magical contract. She wondered what it all meant and thought briefly of looking at the books she'd brought to her dorm on magical contracts for the purpose of sorting it out all before facing the fatigue only a day like this could cause.

Hermione put the box down on the floor and curled up on her bed. She fell into a restless sleep that was punctuated by dreams that only a lifedebt could cause.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it. Firstly, I want to send out a HUGE thank you to my new beta: Sunny- You are the absolute best!

Now my story will be perfect, muwhohahaha!

**291, you guys rock! Thank you to:** Sony, Ash, Laundry Detergent, Onigiri momoko, the coldness of love, anigen, redangel, blaiselover, chaste-aeon, alex, aurora borealis1, kiss of cuteness, jinet, true2u, Iraine, Kimberley, maile, Vanessa, rorry, fardeep, rainmusic, Dagon ng Likha, Tary chang, moth, honNeko, something corporate, tigerfire silverblade, willowfairy, beach-babi, brennaM, Ryua Malfoy, Vashka, smogluver, angelic night goddess, redangel, athenethegrey, duckwucky, islandmochagurl, kayti, kissmyass, lonleyngel, amborsiaflame, lady-sanctuary, im loving blaise, dreaming one, rainecrazy, anna, InfinityEstel, Ashley, RebelRikki, curlyqntx, quirkgrrl, raz, kate-felton, swtndreamypnay, biggerstaffstalker, death is here, keirablond, tokyogurl1, Jexi, buck-a-beak, duj, ehlonna, nightxxxshade, spazmaniandevil, daddygirl, karri, tabii, softball rocks, awesomediva999, vla1diva, ali-lou, ammiva, surrounded by idiots, Incarnation, passivegray, FlamingAmulet, unspottedgiraggee, cutencrazy, lavender-dream, flamingamulet, harryslover, dizzydragon, kricket x0, laxgoalie, princessugar: **Thanks so much to all of you. I'd love to write you all personal responses, but I can't and still post this chapter tonight. I really do appreciate each and every review. **

You'll be happy to know the next chapter is already with my wonderful beta: sunny.

**Some responses to questions/comments I saw more than once: **

Pairing:

Draco/Hermione. However, there will be some Blaise/Hermione leading up to the end.

Hermione crying/ acting girly:

Yeah, I know. It annoys me too. Actually, it annoyed me so much that I went back and corrected some of the chapters with her crying and made her more angry. The only excuse I have is: teenagers are melodramatic.

Singing in the common room: Yes, I know it seems odd- this is how I think about it. There is no radio or CD's at Hogwarts, however, how many high school students do you know that listen to music all the time? Harry in particular is in need of a distraction from the gaping void Sirius left. I have all the Gryffindors sing to avoid the silence- because in silence we are given to contemplation.

Dialog squared: Some have said my characters talk too much. Sorry, I cannot, nor will I do anything about that. That's the way I write. I'm not a writer who carries on for the romance, I carry on for the message. Dialog is where my message comes through.

Harry as a punk: It's not that harry chooses to be a punk, it's that he looks like a punk because of Dudley's overly large and highly worn out clothes. The only punky thing he does is listen to alternative music- which I will not change. He needs some angst after everything.

Lifedebts clarified: Ok, I think I made it clear in this chapter when Hermione writes to her parents. Hermione still owes Draco a lifedebt from the second time he helped save her life. She doesn't owe Blaise and she doesn't know why.

Dreaming: Hermione HAS been dreaming of Draco this whole time, I just haven't mentioned it. You'll see some more of that in the next chapter.

Avoiding clichés:

I can't stand it when Draco is typified as some kind of sex god. Just seeing the phrase "sex god" makes me want to vomit. I wish ff dot net had a feature to delete stories that the public deems intolerable- those are the stories I would delete. Listen people, How many sixteen year old boys do YOU know who screw everything in site. I don't know where you grew up, but out of the people I went to high school with only 10 or so were sexually active. Furthermore, horny and stupid as I was at age sixteen, I'd NEVER just fall at some guy's feet no matter how hot he was. Hell, even when I went to college I was surrounded by virgins- all my friends were virgins- it really isn't unheard of. I myself, waited till marriage AND so did my husband. He was 24 ladies- it can happen.

Add to that the fact that JK does not describe Draco in the most flattering terms- and I do not perceive him to be extraordinarily attractive in the cannon.

Finally, I'd like to point out: If you DO write a story containing the phrase "sex god" than you are most likely in the aforementioned horny, sixteen, and virginal category. My advice to you is this: Don't attempt to write sex scenes, it's painful obvious you've never had sex. Sorry to disappoint, but it's really not worth all the attention and glamour you are ascribing to it. If you do use the phrase "sex god" and are not in that category, than you are most likely substituting sex and sex scenes in place of, or to disguise from the complete lack of, any kind of substantial plot. You have nothing original to say, so you talk about sex. Well, it's been done, redone, shot, stoned, drowned, drawn and quartered, dismembered and beating with its severed limbs. Let. It. Go.

If you've been offended by this rant, then all I have to say is: I laughed as I wrote it.

**Some questions I can't/won't answer at this point: **

What's up with Blaise's powers?

What happened when Blaise was 10?

Who loves who?

Why is narcissa bitter towards morgan?

**Please keep up with the reviews. **


	16. Black Moon

**Chapter Sixteen: Black Moon **

Grey eyes, framed by long blond hair, were the last things Hermione was able to register about her dream before she was brought into wakefulness by the sounds of her dorm mates packing the last of their possessions in a rush to board the Hogwarts express. She sat bolt up right. The comfort the dream had brought was extricated by the realty of its subject. She nearly cursed in frustration as she let herself fall back against her bed with a dull-flump-.

"Sodding Malfoy." She thought grumpily. Then she found herself becoming thankful that she did not owe Blaise a lifedebt. If she was going to be having these kinds of dreams, it was, at the very least, mildly appropriate with only _one _person serving as the inspiration. It almost amused her to think of the both of them having to share her dreamscape, especially in _that _capacity. She suppressed a snort and shook her head.

She took the time to contemplate all the events of yesterday that left her unable to feel, but found that her thoughts chased each other without any sort of order.

She decided the best way to sort through everything was to do what she'd always done when such a situation arose, which was write to her parents. Hermione summoned a parchment and quill to her and opened the curtains a fraction to let a sliver of light fall upon the parchment. While her dorm mates prepared for the day, making their ablutions, putting their pets in their carriers and packing any last minute items, Hermione wrote under the pretense of sleep.

"_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_So much has happened since my last letter to you that I don't know where to start. My mind is so clouded at the moment. I suppose I should start from the beginning. _

_Three weeks ago the ceiling collapsed in the Great Hall right over my head. Don't worry, I didn't get hurt, but that's all thanks to one Draco Malfoy. Remember him? The Slytherin git who always teased me for being muggle-born? That Draco Malfoy. I don't know why he did it, and judging by the look on his face, neither does he. _

_In any case, after saving my life, I owed him a lifedebt. That's a magical contract between two people when there is a life saved. If you are wondering why I've never mentioned it before, when Harry and Ron have saved my life loads of times, it's because the contract isn't valid between people who love each other. I first learned about lifedebts in first year when Harry and Ron saved me from that troll. Neither loved me yet, heck, they didn't even like me! I felt strange after it happened and I consulted Professor McGonagall and she told me about it. _

_But I digress. The castle wasn't safe for the Slytherins, so they were moved into the other house dorms. None of them were happy about this, especially Blaise. That name doesn't sound familiar does it? I just met him this year, although he's in my year and second in the class. Blaise Zabini. He's "_

Hermione paused, looking for an adjective to properly describe Blaise.

"_Intense." _She wrote.

"_To clear myself of the lifedebt, Malfoy has me brewing a potion that will help restore the foundation magic in Hogwarts and get the slytherins their dorm back. Blaise was going to help, but he and Malfoy got into a fight and nearly killed each other. It was really scary, but I managed to break it up and I saved Malfoy's life in the process. _

_I still have one more lifedebt, from when he, Blaise, Harry and Ron cured me of Hepatyphus. (That's the wizarding disease that kills one out of every three wizard babies I was telling you about.)__ The weird thing is"_

Hermione took a deep calming breath, only then realizing her hands were shaking slightly.

"_Although both Malfoy and Blaise helped me, I only owe a lifedebt to Malfoy. Before you ask, I have no idea what this means. Blaise said it was because I got him out of trouble earlier, but I don't know. I've been feeling confused a lot lately. I mean, I don't know anything about him… not really. _

_Well, he's intense, like I said, and passionate, according to his mother. I met her when she came to school to see him get a special award for services to the school along with Malfoy, Harry, and Ron for saving me. I didn't like her very much, but she seemed determined to keep me from being afraid of Blaise, but that might've been because she thought we were dating. Blaise corrected that assumption and she seemed really put out. _

_Harry and Ron, on the other hand, don't trust him and think he's dangerous. I don't blame them really. He can do magic by just thinking it – no wand or anything. And his eyes" _

Hermione shuddered slightly at the memory.

"_Everyone in the room knows when he comes in; you can feel the power he radiates. Everyone is afraid of him. Even I was! It's really got to be terrible, having so much power like that. People hate him here. And me? I don't know what to think anymore."_

At that moment, the curtains were yanked open sharply. Hermione blinked until her eyes adjusted and looked up at the intruder. Pansy was standing there looking down at Hermione curiously.

"I thought you were sleeping." Pansy said bluntly.

"So you decided to awaken me very rudely?" Hermione asked sharply.

Pansy narrowed her eyes.

"You're in a crappy mood this morning. Anyway, Draco says to get a move on. He doesn't want to waste any time."

"The black moon is tonight, we aren't going to make it." Hermione said, her brows crossing in agitation.

"Apparently he's already set to work on the potion." Hermione's eye brows rose. "But he needs your help in this phase, so get up."

"Why can't _you_ help him?" Hermione muttered angrily, but got up just the same.

"Because I can barely transfigure a tea bag." Pansy snapped back. Apparently she wasn't in a good mood either.

Hermione muttered all the way to the bathroom, leaving Pansy alone in the girls' dormitory. The red-headed Slytherin noticed the parchment on the bed. She looked round to make sure the coast was clear, before picking it up and reading it.

"I knew it." She muttered as she came to the part about the lack of lifedebt between Hermione and Blaise. Her voice, however, wasn't triumphant, but worried. Pansy shook her head. "Merlin, Granger. What have you gotten yourself into?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco frowned and squinted. The sunlight streaming through the windows to the hospital wing caused him to stir much earlier than he would have liked. He blinked several times and reached up with a bandaged arm to push the hair from his eyes. They'd given him a potion to grow his melted hair back to one length, and that length happened to be to his mid back. He grimaced as his fingers trailed down the long white-blond locks. He'd need to get it cut as soon as possible.

Madame Pomfrey came around the privacy screen at that moment to see that he was awake. She unwrapped his bandages to see the skin healed.

"No scar this time Mr. Malfoy." She said approvingly. "I didn't know if it would scar the same as last time."

"Some things never heal no matter what you do to them." Draco replied in a monotone, wishing he were alone.

"With all that hair, you look just like your father!" Madame Pomfrey said, trying to lighten the mood. But far from lightening his mood, the mention of his father made Draco feel nostalgic.

His father always said, "Failure is unbecoming of a Malfoy, Draco. Remember that"

_History is made to repeat itself. _Draco thought in reply, arguing with a mental image of his father.

Failure always left an emptiness more unbearable than the pain of flame on flesh. Strange, it hadn't felt this bad the last time he'd lost a duel to Blaise. Perhaps because the last _physical_ injury he'd sustained at Blaise's hand was unintentional. But this time, he would've died by his former-friend's hand if it were not for Hermione. Hermione who had gotten in the way; who had saved him. His chest constricted. His breathing sped up. He closed his eyes and the scene replayed itself on the back of his lids..

_Her feet were planted, her arms were raised, her face was set. _She was speaking, but he couldn't remember what she said.The only thing he remembered was the pleading._ Please,please, please…They're just words. _

"Well, you seem fine. You may leave when you are ready."

Draco blinked and nodded. He knew it must still be very early, but he was glad. He'd have a little alone time to contemplate everything. He had a lot of thinking to do now that Blaise was gone. If he couldn't find another to take the Synergy potion, the batch he'd started work on last week would be worthless and the Basilisk tooth Blaise had already added would be wasted.

He stood up and pulled on the fresh clothes his mother had brought down before departing the night before. He was glad she left. She looked like she could do with a strong drink, a long bath and a good night's sleep after the scare she had experienced. His face twisted and he put his mother from his mind. He felt enough like crap without feeling guilty for losing on her behalf.

Losing. He seemed to be made for nothing but losing. He'd lost every quidditch match to Potter. He'd taken second on every test to Granger. He'd lost _her_ to Blaise. He'd lost his father to Azkaban. And last night, he'd lost his pride to Zabini again. Draco gritted his teeth and snarled at the thought, as he stomped up the marble staircase making much more noise than was strictly necessary.

_Damn him!_ Draco thought vindictively, as his thoughts turned to the night before. He could remember seeing Morgan enter. That cursed woman had a nasty habit of ruining his life. Her presence alone was enough to make Draco shudder in disgust. He certainly could've done with out the flirtatious wink she passed him. It was that gesture that set his mother off, Draco was sure of it. Then the two women started arguing; the same old quips, but the whole time he'd kept his eyes on Blaise. He knew, just like the other boy knew, that although their parents were starting it again, it would be they who would finish it again.

Draco didn't know what he had been expecting. He picked the fight right back up where Morgan had attempted to keep it down, goading the other into initiating the Duel of Honor. Draco knew he couldn't win, but at the time he hadn't cared; he just wanted to do Blaise some injury, and defend the honor of his house. He knew that Duels of Honor could only be ended by death, forfeit, or incapacitation, but he didn't think Blaise would try to kill him. Blaise, who was incapable of casting the Cruciatus Curse; Blaise, who had always shied away from violence; Blaise, who had sobbed and prayed for forgiveness the last time he'd injured Draco; that Blaise would never try to kill him.

The shock of the lifedebt fulfillment was as pronounced to Draco as the horror on Granger's face. Draco could only stare on helplessly, as the boy who had been a brother showed no remorse at all. Then Potter had the nerve to try to help him to the hospital wing, playing the heroic prat as usual, as if his pride hadn't been damaged enough. Afterwards, came the damning question: _Will he hurt Hermione?_ Admitting the truth cut Draco deeper than he would ever admit to anyone.

"I don't know who he is anymore." Draco whispered to himself.

Gone was the "benevolent boy" as the members of the church had called him. The good tempered and inexplicably kind boy Draco had grown up with was lost. It was like someone had gutted his former-friend and shoved another person into his body – a cold, emotionless, violent and hateful person. As much as Draco hated it and hated him he mourned the loss of the real Blaise Zabini.

"I don't know him." Draco repeated and shook himself, clearing his head of sentimentality.

Well, Blaise was gone now and Granger still owed him one lifedebt. He would take back Slytherin commons by himself if he had to and reclaim glory for himself and his house. It actually might be better that Blaise was gone. Now he would have to share that glory with no one. Briefly, he was tempted to do it alone and use the lifedebt to make Granger publicly humiliate Blaise. That'd teach him.

The image of Hermione slapping Blaise in front of the entire school put a feral smile on Draco's face. He'd even go so far as to -shudder- _kiss _the little swot, just to see the look of betrayal on Blaise's face. But Pansy would have his balls faster than blinking if he did that. And in truth, he doubted anything could make him vindictive enough to kiss _Granger_. Well, maybe if she was wearing those shorts.

Regardless, Zabini deserved some vengeance inflicted upon him.

The plot, however, was much too transparent. He needed Hermione to make the potion, as he very much doubted he could do it alone. There was also the fact that his best subject was charms, not transfiguration. He needed her for this and his revenge could wait.

Walking towards the portrait hole, he decided it was time to reclaim his pride and himself. He had to concentrate if he was to accomplish everything he'd set out to do. He didn't have time for sentiments and fantasies of revenge. He was Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin from a long and prestigious line of pure blooded Slytherins. He had to reclaim his house.

"Welcome home." He sneered at the fat lady, his voice full of disdain. He wouldn't be saying that for a long time, not if he had his way.

Stepping through, he saw the common room is disarray as people packed last minute items in preparation to board the Hogwarts express. People looked up as they caught sight of him and slowly everyone was staring at him. He snarled in reply, and they quickly went back to their previous occupations.

"Draco?" Pansy was looking at him strangely. "What happened to your hair?"

Draco remembered and scowled.

"Where's Granger?" He asked bluntly, not to be taken off target. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Pansy's lips tightened and she jabbed a finger in the direction of the girl's staircase. "Would you fetch her, please?" He added politely, though his voice was still agitated.

A frowning Pansy made her way up the girls' staircase to find the insufferable muggle-born.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Finally." Muttered a very annoyed Draco Malfoy, when Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny came into the boy's dormitory.

When Hermione caught sight of Draco, she stopped dead- her eyes going wide. His hair reached his mid back, just like it had done in the disturbing dreams that had woken her. She'd thought it was an aberration, or some sort of distortion of her unconscious mind, but seeing him standing there exactly like he'd looked in her dreams was as shocking as it was gratifying. Shocking because the lifedebt was solidifying and gratifying because she now knew it _was _the lifedebt and not the beginnings of insanity as she'd originally supposed.

"You didn't have to bring Twiddle Dee, Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dumber you know. It might've sped things up if you didn't." Draco sneered, breaking her of her trance.

"Oi!" Ron ground out. "In case you haven't noticed _Malfoy_, we live here."

"Besides, Granger was the one who wanted to catch breakfast and write a novel before starting." Pansy said irritably.

"I wasn't writing a novel! It was just a small letter." Hermione snapped back, feeling just as irritated from the combination of sleeplessness and dream fulfillment. "And if either one of you were competent at potions, you wouldn't care what I did, so belt up and deal with it."

Every Harry and Ron seemed a little taken aback by Hermione's sudden belligerent nature. She never snapped at anyone that badly unless it was exam time.

"Let's just get to work." Pansy suggested, in an attempt to keep the peace. The effect was diminished by her set jaw, however.

"Show me what you've done so far." Hermione ordered imperiously, and swept over to the make-shift potions lab :D -->in a likeness attributed to only Professor Snape.

Blaise had camouflaged the table and items upon it so that those outside of the "inner circle" couldn't see it. In the center of the table was a cauldron full of murky white potion, still bubbling venomously with the addition of the basilisk tooth.

"Blaise just added the basilisk tooth two nights ago, in preparation for the black moon tonight." Draco informed everyone.

"So either we do this without him, or scrap this batch." Hermione said "Well, it's a good thing he left this." She set the emerald box down onto the potion's table and removed the lid.

"What is – " But before Draco could finish his question, Hermione handed him the note Blaise had left on the box.

After Draco had finished reading it he said, "He should be sorry, cowardly git."

Hermione gritted her teeth in anger, but held back a retort.

"So, we need a third." Draco said.

"Didn't you read the – " Hermione began, but Draco cut her off.

"And you just automatically trust his instructions? He's no potions master."

"He's better at potions than the both of us combined." Hermione easily returned. "And yes, I believe him. Why would he lie?"

"To mess me up?"

"You're certainly full of yourself. Blaise wants his dorm back the same as you do. He's not so immature as to mess up a perfectly good shot at getting what he wants just to make you look bad." Draco snorted.

"You think you know him. It's really comical." Draco sneered. "I can't wait till you lot find out."

"Draco!" Pansy snapped in warning, cutting off the question on Hermione's tongue. "Look," She said more patiently, "messing the potion would probably give the drinker some bad side effects. I..." Pansy swallowed, not wishing to give away the fact that she knew there was no lifedebt between the two, but also wanting Draco to be reassured of the advice. "I don't think Zabini would mess a potion he knew Hermione would be drinking."

Hermione blushed.

"Well, I hardly think that's the reason. He just wants to go back to Slytherin commons, that's all." Hermione said.

"I agree with Pansy." Ginny piped in. Harry and Ron nodded as well and Hermione's blush darkened.

"Although I wouldn't mind helping... if you wanted me to." Harry said cautiously. Draco scowled. That's all he needed was for perfect Potter to step up and help; talk about a glory hound. No, if they were so sure this option was safe, and plausible, than that's what they'd do.

"I don't need you, Potter." Draco hissed.

"The empathy magic will need to be cast tonight under the shade of the black moon. Then the potion will _awaken_ at sunrise tomorrow morning." Hermione said, trying to bring them all to task. "The dragon blood is the last ingredient added, so we can decide later what we will do."

"How long until the potion is complete and we can cast the foundation magic?" Draco asked.

"Three or Five days, maybe more. It depends."

"Blaise said he could've brewed it in a week, it's already been three days since we started." Draco said, annoyed.

"Yes, I'm sure he probably could've. Blaise has a Potions Master for a mother and probably knows a lot of methods for speeding up brew times. I, on the other hand, do not. I have to go the normal pace." Hermione snapped back. Draco scowled, but nodded.

"Get to it then." commanded Draco.

"Excuse me Malfoy, these aspen leaves aren't going to cut themselves! _You_ get to it. It's your dorm." Hermione returned.

"What the hell has crawled up your arse and died Granger?" Draco spat.

"Hmmm… Maybe it's the fact that I'm stuck spending my vacation with _you_ when I had alternative plans OR the fact that shortly our minds will be as one. OR possibly, it's just the actualization of six years ill treatment on your part. Payback is a bitch Malfoy, remember that."

Everyone in the room gapped at Hermione. Even her friends shared expressions of surprise.

Harry tentatively came over to her from where he'd been perched on his bed, and touched a hand to her shoulder. Her face was dark with anger, and her body was stiff.

"Hermione,.. what..?" Harry began, but she just shook her head. Afterall, how was she supposed to explain how weird it was being woken in the night by highly inappropriate and embarrassing dreams of a long haired Draco Malfoy, only to rise and find him just as he was in her dreams. Well, she reminded herself- Not _just_ as he was in her dreams, in the dream Draco's personality was always, at minimum, tolerable.

Harry's expression made it clear to her that the subject needed addressing. She pulled him close and murmured, in a meaningful voice, "I didn't sleep well."

Harry's eyes widened with understanding and he nodded. Hermione had told him the dreams had been bothering her and growing steadily worse, since the first dream she'd had about Malfoy.

"Well? Care to share with the rest of us?" Pansy asked, hoping Hermione would admit to the lack of lifedebt.

"Drop it." Harry snapped at Pansy, instantly annoyed on behalf of his friend. "Look," Harry began softly, turning his attention back to Hermione. "The sooner you get this done with the better." Hermione nodded. "Right!" Harry said brightly, "Let's get to work. What do you need me to do?"

"You can't help." Hermione said wearily. "The potion will remember who touched it when it wakes up. It will call out to the people who helped create it to drink."

"What? Are you telling me it's alive?" Harry asked.

"Not _alive. _ Just aware. Only the drinkers can prepare the potion. Blaise will feel the call when the potion is done. I don't know what the consequences will be for him, but he knows a lot more than I do about all of this. He said it was alright to do it without him, so I suppose he'll be ok." Hermione responded.

"Wait! Wait! Explain to me how a potion becomes _aware._" Said Ron.

Draco made an impatient noise.

"Well, it's complicated, but also simple." Hermione began.

"That's a typical Hermione explanation for you." Ron replied smarmily.

"Magic… All magic is aware. The same way a Fidelius Charm protects a secret, so too does this work. A Fidelius Charm can sense the knowledge of the secret inside a person and can thus discriminate between who can and cannot know what is hidden. It's just a charm, but it is aware. That is the nature of empathy magic, except that, as the name implies, the magic is also able to _feel_.

"This particular potion utilizes empathy magic to bind the drinkers' minds together as one. The potion must be given magical awareness to feel what the drinker feels and knows. Using that magic, it transfers those thoughts and feelings to the other drinker, and creates a bridge between the minds for as long as the potion remains in their systems."

"But if empathy is the nature of all magic, why is the empathy spell a guild kept trade secret?" Ginny asked.

"Awareness is the nature of all magic, but not empathy. Magic is aware. It chooses its followers, but it does not discriminate with emotion like a person does. If it did, I expect there would be no squibs and no muggleborns. Magic would know the problems it causes by dividing families into the different worlds." Draco supplied in a drawl, but he didn't look at anyone as he said it.

Hermione sniffed disapprovingly.

"Well, I agree with the squib part, but not the muggleborn part. If muggleborns weren't possible, the magical community would die out." She said.

"Not if wizards intermarried with muggles and always had magical children." Pansy said.

"Oh, are you going to go marrying a muggle then, Parkinson?" Ginny asked with a smile. There was a pause and the irritation factor in the room rose considerably.

"Back on task, now." Draco demanded and turned his attention to the aspen leaves.

"Magical theory is a topic argued about by the greatest minds of our world. You can't just write off the awareness of magic as having no empathy or even intelligence. It must, because magical empathy and magical intelligence exist." Hermione returned, ignoring Draco's request for pertinence.

"Owls." Harry said. "They're smart, can understand humans, and know where to go without directions or training. Is that…"

"Yes, the animal training guild employs magical empathy. Charlie told me." Ron said.

"So why didn't you just ask Charlie for the spell." Pansy snapped at Hermione.

"You told me 'The Plan' the same night as we started brewing the Dormis Veritas potion. You never gave me the option of asking around!" Hermione spat.

"Plus, the guild secrets are protected by charms so that guildsmen can't give them out." Ron said. Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Fred and George tried everything to pawn some of the secrets off Charlie, but even under spells and potions, Charlie couldn't and wouldn't give it out." Ginny said.

"But then how did Blaise…" Harry began to ask.

"Look, if you all are going to keep talking you can go downstairs." Draco snapped at all of them. "Because in case you haven't noticed, this has got to be the most difficult potion to work in existence here, and it's really hard to concentrate with you lot carrying on like a swarm of midges."

"We're not leaving you alone with Hermione." Ron said with finality.

"Then. Shut. UP." Draco snapped back.

The room fell silent, aside from the scraping of Draco's knife against the cutting board. Hermione reluctantly took up her post next to Draco and the group watched the two students work.

Draco had to continuously put down his knife to fling his newly acquired hair behind his shoulder with great irritation. Hermione ignored him and continued work with the thyme. The _slice-slice-slice- scrape-CLUNK swoosh-scrape-slice_ sounds of Draco as he attempted to shred the aspen leaves with care, but had to continuously set down the knife to relieve his face of the blond strands became the rhythm of the room for a time.

Harry, smiling slightly as he rocked back and forth to the inadvertent beat, began to hum to himself in a tune that was strangely familiar to all the occupants of the room.

_Slice-slice-slice-scrape-CLUNK-swoosh-scrape_

Ginny smiled at him, also picking up on what was going on, and in her boredom she joined in humming the same tune. The two leered as Pansy gritted her teeth. Ron had to stifle a snort when Harry intentionally started humming out of tune, and made Pansy wince.

_Slice-slice-slice_

"Weasley will make sure we win…" Harry sang quietly. Ginny and Ron snorted.

_Scrape-**CLUNK**_

Then silence fell upon the room.

Hermione looked up to see a prone Draco, his fists clenched and his teeth barred.

"Get. Out." Draco hissed, his body still directed to the wall, as he faced the potion's table.

"I already said…." Ron began, but stopped when Draco spun on his heel, wand drawn and raised.

"I SAID GET OUT!" He roared. There was silence for a time as the Gryffindors in the room stared at the poised-for-violence-pureblood.

"Weasley is our king…" Ginny sang quietly, breaking the silence.

Draco roared with anger and Harry and Ron burst out laughing.

"That's enough," said Hermione with irritation. She sighed, not wanting to do anything to alleviate Malfoy's well deserved pay back, but also not wanting to botch the potion.

Harry and Ron fell silent, and looked up at Hermione, still smiling.

"We'll be quiet. I just couldn't resist one shot, you know?" Harry said. And it was true. Harry and Draco's positions were now reversed; Draco normally played the annoying antagonist, while Harry silently seethed until exploding. There was a delicious irony in driving Draco mad with the song he'd created and made popular.

"It'll be really boring just watching us make a potion all day. I'll be alright, you lot can go down stairs." She said.

"We're not leaving you alone with _them._" Ron sneered at Pansy, who glared right back.

"Then take her with you, _please._" Hermione said, a slight smile twisting her lips at Pansy's look of indignation. She turned her incredulous face towards Draco, who gave her a sympathetic look. Huffing, she spun towards the exit and stomped out.

"Potter! Weaslies! Get a move on!" She called from half way down the stairs.

Ron was giving Hermione a worried look. She nodded to him reassuringly.

"I can manage Malfoy." She told them.

"At least we can torment Parkinson." Harry said with a smile, getting to his feet. He was glad to be getting off the hook, not really wanting to spend the next few days trapped in his dorm watching people practice his least favorite subject.

They left.

"I wasn't expecting you to ask Pansy to leave as well." Hermione murmured in their wake.

He didn't respond; he merely turned back to his work, only pausing to flick his hair from his face.

Hermione too went back to the table. A glint of gold amongst the aspen leaves caught her eye and she immediately held up her hand to make Draco stop.

"What?" He snapped, but she hadn't taken her eyes off what she saw. She reached down and plucked from the carefully shredded pile of leaves, a single golden hair.

Holding it between her fingers carefully, so that it caught the glow of the snow from outside, she held it up.

"You nearly ruined the potion, that's what." She hissed. Draco barred his teeth.

"You've got your bloody boyfriend to thank for all this hair."

"Then let's cut it off." She returned, waiving her knife.

"I'm going to get it cut as soon as I can." He said levelly. "I'm not going to let you near it."

"You really are a vain prat aren't you?"

"Not vain, and not stupid either. What kind of idiot would I have to be to let _you _cut my hair? You'll make me look like some kind of pill."

"You do that fine on your own." She repressed a smile. He must not be concentrating to walk right into a fine insult like that.

"There is also the disgust factor of having you come into contact with me." Draco gave an exaggerated shudder. Hermione scowled. "Or was that your hope?" He leered unpleasantly. "I understand, of course, being around Potter and Weasley all the time… you want to get your hands on a _real_ man." Draco grimaced slightly at her, apparently picturing it. "Anyway, you're hardly in any position to talk about hair with that rat's nest on your head."

"First of all, I doubt _ferrets _are worthy of the title of 'men' much less 'real men.' Second of all, you don't see my hair sprinkled all over the table! And finally, I can't imagine a circumstance in which I would want to touch _you. _I've gotten enough pureblood germs, thank you." Draco scowled.

"Hepatyphus comes from muggles, I don't care what Zabini said." Then he smirked. "Besides, I'm not the one who goes around forcing herself on purebloods. First you snog Zabini, then you hug me. Why can't quit your ladder climbing and accept your status as the gutter dwelling scab you are?"

Hermione threw down her cutting tool and her face turned a furious shade of red.

"WHAT! Excuse me!"

"Um, did I stutter? No, I don't think I did." Draco smirked again. She gritted her teeth.

"You are just insulting me to distract me from the fact that you have no counter argument. If hepatyphus was carried by muggles, than muggle borns would ALL die in infancy. Face it, Malfoy, it's a wizarding disease carried by wizards alone and you _purebloods_ are going to wind up killing off the rest of us. You don't want to take the blame, so instead you blame muggles."

"Wouldnta caught it if you'd kept your hands to yourself." He pointed out self satisfyingly.

"I'd just like to express how pathetic you are. Coming off so mean and nasty just 'cause you're sore for losing a fight." Draco's mouth opened in rage. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't take your complete inability to duel out on me. Thank you."

"Why you filthly little-"

"Mudblood. Yes, yes, get some new lines."

"Actually, I was going to call you a repugnant inbreed of a beaver, a squirrel and Aberforth Dumbledore, but mudblood works too."

"_Aberforth Dumbledore? _The _goat charmer?"_ Hermione gasped, but couldn't help the grin that twisted her face. "That was low, Malfoy, even for you."

He smirked, then scowled remembering her comment on dueling.

"And! Any idiot could see that I am an exquisite duelist. Zabini has no style; he's all brute force and no grace." Hermione had to concede the point, though she gave no outward appearance of agreement.

Draco's finishing moves had been powerful and strategic, requiring great amounts of concentration, logic and multitasking. While Blaise's spells only required a great amount of power, Draco's spells could not be performed by someone with a weak mind. Hermione was sure that Blaise could do whatever Draco could, and more, if he desired. Malfoy was just showing off. Still, if winning were a matter of scoring points for difficult spells, then the outcome might've been different.

The stronger survived, however, as it is with nature and war.

"Sit." Hermione commanded. He raised his brows at her. "On the bed. I can't do this standing up." She pointed to the furniture.

"I'm not letting you near my hair!" He insisted.

"I'm not going to cut it; I'll only tie it back."

"You'll still have to touch me to do that."

"Fine, ruin the potion. It's your dorm. Or better yet!" Hermione smiled slyly and with a sharp jab of her wand conjured what looked to Draco to be a small bundle of very thin string. "Here." She offered it and he took it.

"What's this?" He asked pulling at the webbed string, and finding that it stretched.

"A hair net." Hermione said, unable to suppress her mirth.

Draco gave her a _very _cold look and sat down heavily on his own bed as though it were the last thing on earth he'd like to do. Secretly, Hermione was happy to see him do so. She disliked Draco more than anyone else she'd ever met, including Pansy. She loathed the idea of touching him, but she'd always secretly harbored a small amount of awe for the boy's hair, which was always perfect with seemingly no effort. She'd now be able to experience the texture and thickness. She reached out, smiling, and pulled **hard. **

"OW! What the hell!"

"Hmm… pretty strong. But it's thinner than I thought it would be." She said, running her fingers through it more gently but carefully avoiding touching his scalp, neck or back.

"Get on with it." He demanded.

Hermione obliged to shut him up. She carefully separated the hair into three bunches, secretly enjoying herself. His hair was undeniably soft and silky and much longer than Hermione's own. She was quite jealous. She pulled the bunches together at the base of his skull and wound them into a very tight plat, fastening the end with a rubber band she pulled from her supply around her wrist.

"There." She stepped away from him immediately, and went back to the table without a backwards glance. Draco reached behind his head and felt the plait tentatively, before scowling and joining her at the table.

"You've probably made me look like a bloody girl." He muttered as he worked.

"I pity the girl who looks anything like _you._" She returned easily.

"And I repeat, you're hardly in any position to talk. I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately Granger?" He grimaced. "I understand if you try to avoid them."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Where as you probably carry around a hand mirror where ever you go, you self obsessed, egomaniacal nancy."

The bickering persisted as the two continued to work, but Hermione was glad of it. It was better than stony silence. But more than that, it was comforting in its familiarity. The sun would rise, the stars would shine, and Draco Malfoy would always be a total and complete prat.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The blinking stars were all that were there to greet Draco and Hermione as they ventured outside to cast the empathy magic in the shade of the black moon. The evening was unnaturally bright despite the lack of moon light, because the snow reflected and magnified what little light existed a thousand fold, making the grounds take on an ethereal glow.

Tonight they would cast the empathy magic that would bring the potion into awareness. After the awakening of the Synergy Potion, there would be no turning back. The potion would call upon them to drink. From the moment the potion woke, the preparation of it would become exponentially more difficult.

The difficulty of the potion was the only reason Hermione was glad that they'd left it's creation till the holidays. True, she'd forgone any chance of a real vacation, and the opportunity to do some much needed research on possible ways of finishing Voldemort, but at least it wouldn't interfere with her required studies.

The night was excruciatingly cold, but the glow of the grounds kept it from seeming too creepy. Hermione was glad of it. She wouldn't want to be stuck outside with Malfoy, while feeling afraid and having only him for company.

As it was, she was standing with her back flush against his chest, walking very slowly and carefully under the invisibility cloak. She was levitating the potion in front of her, as close to her person as possible. Draco had his arms extended to keep the cloak around the levitating cauldron as well, forming a cocoon around them as he hunched over Hermione and the potion.

They had to walk carefully, ensuring Hermione didn't loose her concentration and drop the potion, and that no stray limbs were exposed from the protection of the cloak. It was particularly difficult to remain still, as they were both shivering from the cold. They continued at a painfully slow pace down the stone steps into the grounds, the snow crunching underfoot as they strayed from the path, on their way into the forest. They would need the cover of the trees to remain exposed on the grounds while they cast the magic.

Hermione's unease increased as they grew closer to the forest. There was little snow on the forest floor as the trees thickened and the darkness seemed to close in around them. A few meters in they were able to remove the cloak and step away from each other, for which they were both grateful.

They'd already been forced into each others awkward company the entire day. Even with the sufficient distraction of the potion, it was still time they spent alone together. They had to be careful not to let their eagerness for the whole affair to be over with cloud their ability to make the potion properly, the effects could be devastating other wise.

Though he was not the one suffering under the strain of a life debt, Draco was even more eager to finish the entire business than Hermione. He simply wanted his life to go back to normal. Ever since his father had been put into jail, he'd felt the familiarity of his life slipping away from him. He'd had more change in his life already than he'd ever cared to have, and was not eager for anymore.

He had hoped, initially that he could seek out a new way of gaining completion and contentment in the circumstances that fate was forcing on him. His complete discomfort with the results of every effort put forth, however, had proven him wrong. Now, he simply desired the comfort of normalcy. Soon, he hoped, he would be back in Slytherin commons and away from the Gryffindors and all the discomforting feelings associated with them and with her.

Hermione, herself, was setting the cauldron down onto a level spot of earth that was open to the sky. Draco watched her idly, half lost in his own fantasies of the end result of this pseudo-torture. His eyes lost focus as he indulged in yet another day dream over the triumphant and grateful faces of his house members as he led them back to the Slytherin commons; never again would they look down on him as they had since his father went to jail and he'd saved Granger's life. He could picture every inch of their common room, and soon, he knew, he'd be able to come into it and think to himself, "I did this."

"Malfoy, we're ready." Hermione's chilled voice interrupted his musings.

"Right." He muttered in reply, and took his place across from her.

They stood on either side of the cauldron, looking at each other awkwardly.

"So.. Only one of us has to cast the empathy magic right?" He queried.

"Yes, that's right." She removed a small muggle note book from her pocket and perused it in the semi-darkness. "The person who casts the magic will be the base for the potion. Their blood will make up the greater proportion, and their mind will play host to the other drinkers' minds."

"What does that mean exactly?" Draco asked, as he considered making her do it.

"I expect it means that the base will have the dominant mind when the drinkers' minds are united." Hermione said, frowning and looking over her notes again. "There isn't much information on empathy magic because of the guild's secretive nature, so I can't really say much more than that."

"Right. I'll cast it then." He said, and took the notebook she offered.

There on the lined page was an inscription in Latin in Hermione's neat handwriting, although he could tell she had been shaking as she wrote it. He'd memorized the words already, but read the paper as he said them just to be safe.

More important than the actual incantation, was the meaning of the worlds, which the caster had to hold in his or her heart.

'_THE MOON was but a chin of gold_

_A night or two ago,_

_And now she hides her perfect face_

_From the world below'_

He raised his wand and pointed to the sky.

'_If Aims impel these Astral Ones,_

_The Ones allowed to know,_

_Know that which makes them as forgot_

_As Dawn forgets them now'_

He made a circular motion, which seemed to stir the trees around them in an ethereal wind.

'_EACH that we lose takes part of us_

_A crescent still abides, _

_Which like the moon, some turbid night,_

_Is summoned by the tides.'_

He moved his wand fluidly over the potion, and the magical wind around them picked up, carrying dancing snow like the foam of the ocean's wave.

'_THE MOON is distant from the sea,_

_And yet with amber hands_

_She leads him, docile as a boy,_

_Along appointed sands.' _

The snow that swirled around them took shape, like hundreds of hands reaching out between Draco and the potion. The murky white mixture seemed to stir in the wind.

'_My words the amber hand,_

_And thee the distant sea,_

_Obedient to the least command_

_Our eyes imposed on thee'_

As though a drop of water had fallen into the infusion, the surface of the potion rippled. Hundreds of wind made hands of snow caressed the cauldron and around Draco, as if to memorize the posture he took as he cast, the lines of his face, and the shape of his body. Nature was responding to the pact being made between caster and brew.

'_the dawn will remember you_

_Awaken with its call _

_Create an Empath of us_

_All in one, and one in All.'_

With the final pronouncement, the wind broke, dispersing outwards away from the potion and shaking snow from the trees. Following that, a stillness, so absolute it echoed, settled around the clearing.

Both Draco and Hermione could feel the sanctification of the moment and neither breathed for fear of breaking it. As it became apparent neither of them was going to spontaneously combust, Draco let out his breath and turned away from Hermione- who was looking at him as though he had grown wings.

Hermione herself was completely dazzled by the display of magic she'd just witnessed. Never before had she been privy to a spiritual summoning. It was deep, touching and disturbing; the last mainly due to the person she'd shared the moment with.

It had been more than disconcerting to watch the snow dance around Malfoy like sun through branches in the wind. The wind had undone his long hair from its braid and caused it to swirl around him. The whiteness of his hair became indistinguishable from the icy flakes around it. It made him look beautiful and beauty contradicted everything she'd ever come to associate with him.

She closed her eyes and reminded herself of all the reasons Draco Malfoy was not attractive. With a split second's reminder, she had return her opinion of him to a comfortable level of disgust, and was able to open her eyes again without feeling the sickness of an attraction she knew defied the laws of nature.

"We're done here." She said icily, as though he'd planned this.

"Right, so we just leave it out here?" He asked quietly.

"Yes, it's got to sit out here until the sun rises. We'll need to be here to see it happen and take it inside straight away to put it back on the fire." He nodded.

Hermione held up the invisibility cloak.

"Let's get back inside then."

With a great deal more awkwardness than when they'd first had to don the cloak, they stepped near each other and covered themselves for the walk back to the castle.

**Poems by Emily Dickenson **

I used four abstractions of her poems in combination. Here are the original versions:

_(1) THE MOON was but a chin of gold / A night or two ago, And now she turns her perfect face / Upon the world below _

(2)THE MOON upon her fluent route Defiant of a road / The stars Etruscan argument, Substantiate a God. / If Aims impel these Astral Ones, The Ones allowed to know/ Know that which makes them as forgot As Dawn forgets them now

_(3)EACH that we lose takes part of us;/ A crescent still abides, Which like the moon, some turbid night/ Is summoned by the tides._

(4)THE MOON is distant from the sea/ And yet with amber hands / She leads him, docile as a boy/ Along appointed sands. / He never misses a degreeObedient to her eye/ He comes just so far toward the town/ Just so far goes away. / Oh, Signor, thine the amber hand/ And mine the distant sea,—Obedient to the least command / Thine eyes impose on me

**6/17/05 I'm back: **Yeah, it really doesn't feel like 15 pages when I read it. The next chapter is super huge and took me forever to write- but it's written and with my beta- Sunny. Ok, I said the same thing last chapter and it still took me forever to get this one out- that's because I like to have the following chapter completely done before I post one. So, I wasn't going to post 16 till 17 was finished.

**Up next: **Who is Blaise Zabini – well, we may never know, but we will find out _what_ he is.

**Special thanks: **First, to my beta Sunny. Second, to my reviewers, especially those of you who have reviewed EVERY CHAPTER since you started reading. I like to know who is staying with me.

**General responses: **I'm very appreciative of the 390 reviews I have for this story, but that means that 129 people reviewed chapter 15, which is great, but it makes it hard to do individual responses, so here are the general ones:

**Romantic pairing: **OK, I'm about to go off on a rant here. This is a Dramione story and that is not changing. I don't think that it "ruins" my plot to make it a dramione story, either. I'm sorry that some reviewers are getting melodramatic with my chosen pairing, but I really don't see a story titled "SAVING DRACO MALFOY" featuring a BZ/HG pairing, thanks.

If you've been reading my other authors notes you'll see I'm putting together a Blaise/Hermione plot- for all you BH fans, I have two plots on the table that I'm discussing with my beta. Both will require a lot of time so I won't start that till SDM is finished. I'll probably be asking your opinion about which plot to pursue once I get outlines written.

**Virginity: **Yeah, I'm happy I had a lot of people support me on my sex god rant- but, er… as you can see from my profile, I am married so there really is no need to encourage me to protect my virginity as its long gone. Attempts to persuade me into abstinence are severely pissing off my husband- --laughter---. 5/25 was my two year anniversary. For all of you who are not married- save your selves! And look out for Morgan Sinistra's feminazi rants against men- it'll give you a glimpse into why I feel the way I do.

**Other prohibited phrases: **

Since my Sex God rant was so well received, I'm going to go out on a limb and propose some other phrases that need to be stricken from fanfiction.

the use of the word "ponce" to mean "homosexual." "Ponce" means pimp, in British slang, not fag. (see dictionary dot com if you don't believe me)

Blond v. blonde v. Blondie – please note a grammar rule. 'Blonde' cannot be used for males. It's a gender specific word. Females cannot be blond. A Blondie is a type of dessert which resembles a cookie. I break tons of grammar rules when it comes to punctuation but at least I KNOW I'm doing it- right Sunny!

The overuse of the word "hot." Seriously, how many times do you use the word "hot" in a week? The way I seeing it being used by fiction characters makes me think their entire dictionary of adjectives was taken from Paris Hilton. Get a grip. Not everyone and everything is "hot," in fact- most things are not "hot"- they are everything ranging from the negation of "hot" to the antithesis of "hot." In fact, all variations of the word HOT also need to be stricken. "Hottie," "hotness," and other forms of "hot" should be cause for immediate hitting of the "back" button. I also detest the overuse of the words: sexy, muscular, developed, voluptuous, cut, curvy, and did I mention hot?

The description of body parts that makes it painfully obvious you've never seen it. Urg- it's not that I'm encouraging you to visit porno sites in order to be able to properly understand what something looks like in order to describe it- It all goes back to my complete inability to believe that high school students are sexually active enough to substantiate fictions with blatant over uses of the word "hot" and necessitate a description of genitalia so grossly inaccurate so as to make me believe wizards have undergone speciation. I'm going to be very frank with all you 14 year old slash fans: **Penises are UGLY.** They are very very ugly- they are really not pretty and they are most definitely not "hot."

Don't get me wrong- I am a very straight female with a straight and "hot" husband- but TRUST ME on this: Men look better with their boxers ON.

By this time you are probably going- hey! That's my story! And are slowly moving your cursor down to the "report abuse" option. To this I have to say that you are taking me entirely too seriously AND, if you do that, you'll never know the end of my story will you? I write these authors notes simply because I have no talent for writing humorous stories (as made evident by _summer days)_ but I so desperately want to spread the sarcasm.

**Questions answered: **

Who is the girl from chapter 13- Is she Draco's former girlfriend that Blaise stole from her? - To those of you who picked up on that hint, my answer is: yeah something like that. You'll see, I won't leave you hanging on that front

Is Blaise the son of Voldemort? I really considered this angle and I actually found a way to work something like this into the plot, but I cut out the entire angle because the story is called "Saving Draco Malfoy" not "Getting to know Blaise Zabini" and I can't spend so much time on the non-hero. You'll find out who Blaise's dad is in the next chapter- or something like that.

Why is Blaise hot/cold and a Loner? Erm, more hints next chapter.

Draco's hair "melting" – Yes, hair actually does melt and it makes a terrible smell when it does it too. Trust me on this folks, I was a pyromaniac when I was a kid and I must've blown up every Barbie doll I owned by the age of 10- I could find a way to make ANYTHING combust- sometimes at the expense of my hair and clothes. It must be the arab in me.

I'm very easily discouraged. I had one flame on Summer Days and I gave up writing it and will delete it. I need a lot of encouragement while writing chapter 18, because I have NO motivation so **_please review_**!


	17. Dawning

**8/12/05- This story has officially become AU per the release of HBP. The two sequels will also be AU to HBP. I hope you all don't give up on my story because of it. **

**Pairing: **Draco/Hermione

**Summary so far: ** Draco has saved Hermione from the collapse of the ceiling in the great hall. Voldemort is using his blood connection to the school as a descendent of Slytherin to undo the foundation magic. The Slytherins 6th and 7th years are sent to live in Gryffindor tower until the dungeons are safe again. Draco and Blaise devise a plot using the synergist potion (which combines the drinkers minds and powers) to use multiple people to restore the foundation magic, and recruit Hermione to help brew by using the lifedebt she owes to Malfoy. While acquiring needed ingredients Blaise and Hermione run from Snape and end up having to pretend to be kissing so as to distract him from their crime.

Hermione catches a wizarding disease from Blaise and nearly dies, but is rescued once again by Draco- who she in turn saves from a vengeful Blaise when Narcissa insults Blaise's mother. Blaise abandons the project to save the Slytherin commons and leaves Hermione and Draco to brew the potion on their own. But Blaise's quick defeat of Draco and his strange affinity with fire leave yet another mystery for our famous boy who lived to solve.

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* * *

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**Chapter Seventeen: Dawning**

There were few things more breathtaking that watching the sun rise over distant frost kissed mountains, the casting of a glittering light upon the infinite chips of ice that covered the innumerable trees from the tallest tower of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The effect was diminished for Hermione; however, by the presence of an extremely grumpy and half-asleep Draco Malfoy.

"Let's go," she cajoled, as she mounted Harry's firebolt. Grumbling something about damnable early risers and improper breeding, Malfoy straddled his own Nimbus 2001. They kicked off and rose into the numbingly cold morning air intent on the potion they'd left out to the elements the previous night.

Something, very much like the weight of a lifedebt, was prickling the back of Hermione's mind. She suspected it was the awakening potion, but couldn't be sure because of all the other things that filled her head like a tangible weight on her shoulders.

She was worried about the war, and Harry, who'd been growing increasingly depressed and withdrawn after every encounter with the Dark Lord. She was worried about her parent's safety and whether all the Weasleys, all of whom were or would be members of the Order of the Phoenix, would make it through alive. She was worried about her studies, and what she was going to do after school. She was worried about this stupid lifedebt to Malfoy that she was sure had permanently addled her brain and caused her to think of him in wholly unnatural ways, even if only unconsciously.

Her mind was occupied by the bronze skinned, red eyed boy whose despair was so palpable it sucked all the hope from the room like the presence of a dementor. Blaise had not been far from her thoughts since he'd left. As her unconscious-dreaming mind dwelled on the lifedebt between herself and Malfoy, her conscious mind pondered the lack of a lifedebt between herself and Blaise more and more. She wanted to do something to help him, but at the same time she realized it was not her place to barge into his life anymore. He'd been clear that he wanted to be left alone. There was, however, the fact that Harry often wanted to be left alone and had made attempts to push herself and Ron away. It was clearly unhealthy to allow someone who'd suffered trauma to be left alone- and a parents' divorce, while not as traumatic as watching a person die---

They touched down in the clearing they had left the potion in, and Hermione gasped as she remembered. This was the same clearing where they had their Care of Magical Creatures lesson about thestrals. In her class, there had been three people who were able to see the creatures. She knew the first was Harry and the second was Neville. There had been a third boy. She hadn't known his name then, but looking around the clearing she realized that the third person to raise his hand had been Blaise.

He _had _seen death, in addition to experiencing his parents' divorce.

"No wonder," she whispered in awe.

"No wonder what?" Malfoy snapped near by. He was clearly not a morning person. She turned to him.

"You grew up with Blaise didn't you?" she suddenly asked.

The effect was instantaneous. His face became a cold mask of apathy.

"Why are you asking?" he questioned back. Tension was evident in his voice and body language.

"I…" She decided to tell the truth. "I just remembered, just right now, that Blaise can see thestrals." Malfoy's eyes widened momentarily, then traveled around the clearing as he too remembered the significance of their location, before icing over into their usual glare of indifference.

"It's none of your business," he said coldly.

He drew his wand and cast a levitation charm on the cauldron. As soon as it had floated close enough to his person he kicked off again, leaving her behind without another word. The potion needed to be put back on the fire directly after sunrise.

Hermione took another look around the clearing.

"What happened to you, Blaise?" she asked herself. Then she too kicked off, resolved to find out.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Why are we doing this again?" Ron asked as he, Harry and Ginny entered the library.

"Because Hermione asked us to. Besides, aren't you curious?" asked Ginny. "I know I am."

"I'm just worried. I don't trust that evil sod as far as I can throw the castle," Harry said, and led they way to the appropriate book shelf.

"Which evil sod are you on about?" asked Ron, a slight quirk to his lips.

"There are too many to choose from these days aren't there?" Harry said absently, as he perused the row of books.

"Come off it! You two don't really think Blaise is evil do you?" Ginny questioned.

Both boys paused and turned towards Ginny with slightly pitying faces.

"It's just… no one is completely evil, and labeling someone as evil, well, that's not much of an incentive for them to do good, is it?"

They continued to look at her pityingly and slowly, her irritation was growing. "Anyone has the capacity for good and evil. Malfoy proved that this year _twice,_ didn't he?"

"Not really," Ron said mildly. "He just did it to one-up us."

"Twice? Don't you think that's a little over the top even for Malfoy?" Ginny countered.

Harry frowned at the comment, and changed the subject by drawing a book from the shelf.

"The 1969 year book? Why do you want that?" asked Ron as he took in the cover.

"Morgan Sinistra. She looks like she's in her forties," Harry commented as he flipped through the pages.

Among the sixth years of 1969, there was a sixteen year old Morgan Sinistra.

"Merlin!" Ron muttered as he came round to look at the picture. "A M.I.L.F. if I ever saw one"1

"Ron! Have some respect! That's Zabini's mother!" Ginny said, making a face.

Harry had to agree with Ron, she was quite pretty.

The sixteen year old Morgan Sinistra, much like the current version, was beautiful in the way a predatory cat is beautiful. Her eyes were almond shaped, and her full curly lips were upturned in a feral smirk that seemed permanently etched on her high-cheeked face. She was much thinner as a girl. She had the type of looks one might immortalize in a statue, the like of which were seen in her homelands of Greece.

"Alright, let's begin. Ron, if you could pull a book on genealogy, please. Do you remember what clan Blaise said he was descended from when we had that discussion a couple days back?"

"I think I remember him saying something about the Deo-Taliesin clan."

"Right, well, we'll need to find out his ancestry." Harry said. "And Ginny…"

Ginny held up another year book, showing Harry the date of 1965 on it.

"He's not in here. No one by the name of Zabini." Ginny said, before Harry could ask questions. Harry smiled at her anticipation.

"If his dad is an immigrant, then he wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts," Ron pointed out.

"He should still be listed in a genealogy regardless," Harry said. Ron nodded and went off to find the appropriate book.

Harry turned back a few pages and found what he knew he would. Under the "M" section was a sixteen year old Lucius Malfoy. Now that Draco had grown his hair out, he looked to be an exact replica of his father at this age. Harry quickly turned to the memories section, where candid shots were published. What he saw made his eye brows disappear into his bangs.

"My God," muttered Harry.

Ginny replaced her own yearbook and came over to see what Harry was on about. She peered over his shoulder and caught sight of the full page photograph. Lucius Malfoy was standing, his arms around the shoulders of Morgan Sinistra. They both wore a wide smile on their faces. The picture was captioned: "Couple of the Year."

"They dated… Blaise's mum and Malfoy's dad," Ginny said perplexedly.

"If Narcissa was Lucius Malfoy's second choice, it would make sense that she'd be furiously jealous of Blaise's mum," Harry finished.

"That seems like a lot of hatred to be made from nothing but jealousy," Ginny commented.

"Here it is!" Ron called excitedly, approaching them and holding up an open book. "Morgan Sinistra married Matthias Zabini in 1972. She was twenty, he was…" Ron paused for a split second to do a mental calculation. "Blimey, he was thirty three!"

"What is she doing marrying someone thirteen years older than her?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"That's not uncommon among pure-bloods, actually," Ginny said. "Her parents might have set her up. Maybe she wanted to marry Lucius Malfoy, but her parents wanted someone else for her. I mean…" Ginny paused, looking uncomfortable. "There is the race issue, after all."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Well, the Sinistras are Greek. Even though their family has been in Britain for ages, they've only ever intermarried with other Greeks. This Mathias Zabini, he might've been the only Greek in town." Ron supplied, his brow furrowing as he examined the genealogy.

"What else does it say about him? About the Zabini's?" Harry asked.

"Well, from the looks of this chart, Matthias Zabini was an immigrant. His line comes from off the page." Ron flicked a few pages, looking for where the line picked up again. "It's like he popped out of nowhere," Ron muttered, as he continued to search fruitlessly.

"Well, he must be pureblood, or it wouldn't even show him coming from a line," Ginny said.

"Wait a second," Ron said, his brows creasing in worry as he took notice of something he had not before. "Matthias Zabini, 1939 to 1992."

"He's dead?" Harry asked.

"Died in our second year." Ron nodded. "That's got to be rough, losing a parent," he said carelessly.

Ginny gave him a sharp tap on the back of the head.

"Ow! Wha-oh! Sorry, Harry, I mean, it's way worse losing them both of course… and STOP that Ginny, I wasn't having a go at Harry."

"It's alright. No need for all of that. It's not like I can remember my parents. I imagine its worse if you,… if you knew them." Harry looked away.

"This is all interesting," Ginny commented, in an attempt to change the subject. "But it doesn't tell us why Blaise can do what he does: the wandless magic and the immunity to magical contracts, for examples."

"Hermione said Blaise told her that wandless magic ran in his family. She told us to start with that, so we're trying," Ron said. "And this Matthias Zabini character seems to be the key to the mystery."

"It could start anywhere in his ancestry," countered Ginny.

"Or he might've lied," suggested Harry. "It might have nothing to do with his heritage at all."

"In which case, this," Ron said, while holding up the genealogy tree, "is a waste of time."

"Well, how on earth would we begin researching a topic like this?" Ginny asked.

"You lot really are sad," a voice called from the next row over.

The three Gryffindors looked through the stacks to see a smirking Pansy.

"How many mysteries did you solve, and you can't figure out something so obvious?" she taunted them with a raised eyebrow.

"What's sad is that you're tailing us 'cause your normal pursuit is busy making Hermione's life hell, and you've come to do the same to us," Ron stated coldly.

Pansy returned the comment with a very cold look, but then she smirked again as though she knew something they didn't.

"You know?" Harry asked. She simply smiled in reply. "No chance you're going to tell us, is there?" he continued in an annoyed voice.

"Let me see," Pansy said silkily, as she perused the rows of books nearest her. "Hmm, after the wonderful treatment you gave me yesterday? 'Weasley is our King,' followed by a roaring trade at my expense. I wonder…"

Harry looked away sheepishly. He _had _tormented her quite a bit yesterday after they'd all gone down from the boys' dorm. He found it immensely diverting to pick on Pansy in place of the singing of his fellow Gryffindors that normally protected him from the silence. Silence had become something Harry couldn't tolerate. He didn't want to be able to hear his own thoughts, not when his mind had become an instrument Voldemort could use to manipulate him.

Occlumancy was progressing too slowly to protect Harry from the sting of Voldemort's curses, from the screams of his victims, and from the visions the Dark Lord dwelled on. In silence, his mind was filled with the horrors of war, and his heart with the weight of Sirius' loss. He could block it out- so long as he was focused on something. He needed a distraction.

"You lot _are_ hopeless without Granger aren't you? It's amazing you managed to get through classes while she was incapacitated in second year, then again, it's not like you had to pass exams."

Harry walked around the isle to stand in the same one Pansy was in. She surveyed him with a sly grin. Harry turned back to see that Ginny and Ron had followed him. He wish they hadn't, as he was about to try something he hated doing.

Steeling himself, Harry closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and folded them with apparent deliberation before putting them in his pocket. When he opened his eyes the world around him was blurred. He walked forward and Pansy, her brow raised and her expression suspicious, came into sharper focus with each step.

Harry walked so close to her that they were centimeters apart. He needed to be able to see her eyes clearly. He wasn't sure what to think when he saw her face had turned red. She tried to back up to put more space between them, but Harry maneuvered so that she backed herself into the bookshelf.

"Potter, what are you…?" she began, but their eyes met and her voice failed her. Something flickered in Harry's eyes that made her heart stop.

Pansy Parkinson was a known gossip. She didn't have a problem with that label, instead she found it to be an accurate description of herself. She eavesdropped on girls, who were besotted with the famous Harry Potter and who extolled the virtues of his eyes on numerous occasions in the girls' toilets. Far from agreeing with the foolish harpies, the woefully pathetic and cliché lines about _emerald pools, green fire, _and (her personal favorite) _jade dragons_ made her laugh. It was the last description that drove her to send Potter a Valentine during second year, comparing his eyes to a toad. _Dragon_ was a comparison reserved for Draco alone, and she wouldn't have it associated with Potter. The fact that the prank was absolutely hilarious was an added benefit.

However, now that she was standing a hair's breadth from him, and looking into his open, uncovered eyes, she _knew_ those girls were not only stupid, they were dead wrong. Potter's eyes were not like emeralds, fire, or dragons, nor did the color even remotely resemble jade. His eyes were pure death, the exact color of the unforgivable that claimed his parents and marred his face. If she could've compared his eyes to any type of inanimate object, she would not have chosen emeralds or diamonds or fire. She would have chosen glass. It was as if the curse that left the lightning bolt scar on his forehead had shattered him on the inside, and it was only apparent in the shards of green death that she now gazed in to. And she knew what that flickering was in his eyes, it was the haunted, bereft torpor of one who has seen death, and one who has caused it.

His eyes made her want to look away, but she found that her eyes were locked with his, and her body wouldn't move. Her body seemed oddly numb to her.

"What do you know about Zabini?" Harry questioned, his voice seemed to echo in her head even after his lips had closed.

"Dumbledore made the Slytherins swear never to talk about it," she answered easily and truthfully. Then she stopped herself, confused by her own actions.

"Why?" Harry continued, his green eyes still flickering in an entirely unnatural way.

"… wanted to give him a chance with the other students, I expect." Why was she telling him this? Why couldn't she shut up and look away?

"Why does he need a chance?" persisted Harry, his voice was straining to be calm.

"Cause we're all scared shitless of him. No one comes near him or tries to talk to him. No one dares upset him."

"Harry…" Ginny's voice seemed to Pansy to be coming from another room, or through water. "You shouldn't do that. You know you aren't supposed to." Her voice was full of uncertainty.

"Why are you scared?" Harry pressed on.

"Because he's…" She wasn't allowed to say it. "… powerful."

"You're hiding something from me. Do not try to lie to me; I will know." Harry warned. "Tell me the circumstances that got everyone afraid. Tell me everything."

"Harry…" Ginny moaned.

"Shut up Ginny!" Ron snapped.

"What is going on here?" Madame Pince's voice caused Harry's eyes to snap to the end of the isle where the matriarch was standing, brandishing a feather duster threateningly.

When Harry's gaze left her, Pansy was able to blink. It felt like she was waking up from a bad dream that she could only half remember.

"What are you doing to this girl?" Madame Pince continued doggedly.

"Nothing," Harry said, withdrawing his glasses and putting them on his face. "Just having a conversation."

"Ms. Parkinson, are you well?" Madame Pince persisted.

Pansy couldn't tear her eyes away from Potter, unable to believe what had just happened. Indignation filled her at the sight of his innocent façade.

"I'm fine, thank you. Everything's fine," Pansy ground out.

With a last suspicious look, Madame Pince left.

"What the hell did you do!" shrieked Pansy, immediately.

Harry turned his attention to her, the innocent mask giving way to a cold look indeed. His eyes were shielded by his spectacles, the whole, round, pieces of glass covering the raw shards of his eyes.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Harry feigned.

"You… you _did _something to me!" Then it clicked. "You just used Legilimancy on me!"

"No, no, no." Harry smiled a bit nastily. "I enthralled you. There is a difference." Pansy gapped at him, and Harry laughed at her bafflement. That made her _pissed. _

"You can _do _that?" Pansy said, her voice biting. "Ha! I knew you had to use some kind of magic to get Chang on a date with you. You're much too pathetic to manage it any other way."

That wiped the smile off Harry's face.

"This coming from Draco Malfoy's lap dog, that's rich." Harry bit back.

"At least _Draco _doesn't use enchantments to corner unsuspecting girls Mr. Harry-that's-a-knife-in-my-pocket-Potter!" 2

Ginny, who had been present under the invisibility cloak when the event Pansy was referring to took place, didn't manage to stifle a snort and a giggle.

"No, he just ropes them into slavery by holding lifedebts over their head Ms. Pansy-can-I-grind-my-arse-against-your-pelvis-Parkinson!" Harry snapped back.

Ginny burst into giggles at this.

"Filch was going to get me!" Pansy hissed in indignation. "And it doesn't change the fact that you just used Dark Magic on me. Ha! So much for Gryffindor higher morals."

"Speaking of morals," Harry began, and he titled his head so he could look over the top of his glasses at her. "Is it always necessary for the headmaster to make your entire house swear in order to protect one of your own?"

"What has that got to do with morals?" Pansy hissed.

"I'm trying to protect my friend by finding out about potential threats to her because I care about her, not because Dumbledore made me do it."

"Ah, here in lies the misunderstanding. Zabini isn't my friend. He isn't anyone's friend, not since second year he hasn't been."

"Why," Harry asked.

"And I repeat, you've got to be really pathetic if you can't figure out something so obvious. I was even kind enough to give you a clue, but damn it Potter, you are so dense that you wouldn't know a subtle hint if it stripped naked, painted itself blue, and danced on top of the pianoforte singing "Subtle hints are here again...'" Pansy did a little shimmy on the spot to emphasize her message, as if the condescending tone wasn't bad enough.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll understand when he's burned down the Gryffindor common room. It's bound to happen," she assured, while determinedly keeping her eyes from his face. She wasn't going to fall for _that trick_ again. "And I'll be dancing on your ashes."

Harry's lips thinned. His hand went to his pocket and Pansy was sure she'd pushed him too far. He was going to draw his wand and curse her. Her eyes followed his hand as it returned from his pocket with something smaller than a wand.

"Just for your information," Harry said, as he brandished an object in her personal space and gave it a sharp flick. The blade which popped out just barely missed her nose. "I always keep it on me." Harry waved the knife in her face for good measure.

"Bastard," Pansy hissed, when her heart started beating again.

She spun on her heel and walked off in the opposite direction so she wouldn't have to pass Ron and Ginny in the end of the isle. Harry stood where he was, contemplating what she'd said while idly setting and releasing the blade he still held in his hand. If Ron and Ginny noticed that the knife he was carrying was the same one Sirius had given him, the one that had been melted in the department of mysteries which now appeared to be whole as the day it was new, they said nothing.

"She was giving us a clue?" Ron asked. "Why would she do that?"

"Forget _why_, I just want to know what it was," Harry murmured.

"Maybe you'd have been able to get a more direct statement from her if you hadn't tried to bully her with powers you gained from Riddle. And I thought you weren't going to use them anymore Harry," Ginny scolded.

In truth, Ginny did not disagree with Harry's Machiavellian measures to get information out of Pansy. It was a matter of the safety of a friend. Ginny simply hated seeing Harry use Tom's powers. It was bad enough they were both parcelmouths, half-bloods, orphans and looked alike, she didn't want them coming into any other associations in her mind.

Harry bit back a comment, choosing to ignore Ginny and instead concentrate on Pansy's subtle clue.

He turned himself towards the stacks so he could look through them as she had done initially. His eyes traveled down to where her eye level would be, and there, something caught his attention. The spine of a faded red book bore the title: _Sorcery and Elemental Magic_.

Harry's eyes took in the other books in this section, all having to do with sorcery, and he understood. He drew the book from the shelf and looked at the cover with bitterness.

"Damn it," he spat out quietly. "Now I have to apologize to her."

"Harry, what is it?" Ron asked.

Harry held up the book.

"The clue," He said simply.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Did I not say this would happen?" McGonagall said for the umpteenth time. "Did I not predict this very occurrence?"

"Indeed Minerva, you should be appointed the divination teacher, so great is your ability to state the perfectly obvious," Snape sneered.

"I think all of you are overreacting," Sinistra insisted. "Blaise used his powers to win a duel, which he was completely with in his rights to initiate. He did not lose control."

"Are you saying you were not holding your breath when Hermione stepped between the two of them? That you were perfectly confident during every moment of that conflict that Mr. Zabini would keep his head?" McGonagall countered sternly.

Professor Sinistra hesitated.

"Enough," Dumbledore said, holding up a hand. The three teachers were convening in Dumbledore's office over the events that had taken place at the leaving feast.

"I appreciate all of your concerns, but I must admit I was pleased with how things turned out." Dumbledore confessed.

"Pleased? He only destroyed part of the Great Hall, something no one is supposed to be able to do except for a founder. The wards on this school… " McGonagall began.

"…cannot protect it from Mr. Zabini because of the magic that runs through his blood as the result of the Curse of Elainis," Dumbledore cut her off.

"And this is a good thing?" Snape asked, incredulous.

"You misunderstand me, Severus," Dumbledore began in a pacifying voice. "I am not at all pleased by the destruction the duel caused, both to the school and to young Mister Malfoy. You may be wondering why I allowed it to take place although I knew the consequences could be dire if a spell went astray." The teachers assembled all nodded.

"The bloodfeud that exists between the Malfoy and Zabini houses was bound to erupt at some point. It was completely inevitable that Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini would cross wands. Accepting this as fact, I wanted to ensure my presence when the moment did indeed come to pass in case our worst fears were realized and Mr. Zabini lost control of his powers."

"I fail to see how your presence altered the result." Professor Sinistra said frostily. She did not like people speaking of Blaise as though he were a dark creature.

"That is because, I did not have to. Miss Granger took it upon herself, as she is wont to do, to step in."

"We know that! The foolish girl could've been killed, and legally I might add!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"That is precisely what Lord Voldemort was hoping for," Dumbledore admitted gravely.

The occupants of the room gasped both at the name and at the implication.

"Mrs. Malfoy was ordered to instigate the fight," Snape stated.

"But Draco would've been killed!" Professor Sinistra gasped out.

"And I would have been forced to expel Mr. Zabini, an outcome I have been trying to avoid at all costs," Dumbledore conceded.

"To the detriment of the safety of this school and its occupants," McGonagall admonished sternly.

"If I cast Mr. Zabini into the streets, notorious as he is, to whom can he turn? Who will accept him? And what if he had killed Miss Granger instead for interfering with the duel? The Ministry would be bound by its own laws to allow Mr. Zabini to walk away freely. Anyone who interferes with a duel or honor or bloodfeud may be dealt with by the opponents. The outcry over Miss Granger's passing, coupled with the stress of this war, would force the magical community to demand Mr. Zabini's blood, or at the very least, his freedom. Such an action would bring into conflict the hundreds of outdated laws made to favor pure-bloods.

"The pure-bloods and remnants of aristocracy, who agree with the laws in their favor, would take up arms against those who oppose it. Even those pure-blooded families, who have chosen to remain neutral in this conflict, would take action if they perceived their civil rights were in jeopardy. Do you not see the simplicity and brilliance of it all?

"The civil strife between community members, between individuals and the ministry would make an ideal environment to breed fanaticism in the old ways. And Lord Voldemort would be there to present the combatants with a banner to follow."

"My God," gasped Professor Sinistra meekly.

"Worse still, would be the effect on Mr. Zabini. If all had gone according to plan, he would be so heavily shunned and ridiculed that he would have no choice, but to join Voldemort's ranks, and if that happened, I fear the war would be lost."

"Blaise is staying neutral. He doesn't want any part in this conflict. He would retreat into complete seclusion, into the Shadow Lands, before joining a side," Professor Sinistra stated firmly.

"I, too, want Mr. Zabini to have no part in this conflict. However, his abilities are exception. His power is so great that I fear he will be forced to fight, even as he is forced to participate in a bloodfeud against his greatest friend."

"We can't let that happen; it broke him inside when he had to fight Draco the first time. Two nights ago, after the duel, he was so riled that he wouldn't speak, and I thought for sure the room we were in would catch fire at any moment," Professor Sinistra added.

"One of his seals, the three seals meant to guard his power, has been broken. He was glowing, Dumbledore. He was radiating power. Will you let him return to the school knowing how much more of a danger he is to it now?" McGonagall asked.

"For the seal he has lost, he has gained something much better," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again.

"Miss Granger is a poor choice for someone who wishes to keep away from conflict," Snape stated. "A muggle-born, and Harry Potter's best friend. He could not have possibly picked a worse candidate."

"You're happy about that too," McGonagall accused, as if taken by a sudden understanding. "You're hoping he'll take to defending Miss Granger; you're hoping it will make him join our side!"

"Please do not mistake me, Minerva, it is my greatest wish that Mr. Zabini never see a trace of this war. However, I must concede. If he will be forced into fighting, then I must make every effort that he not fight us."

"Blaise isn't some tool for war, Albus," Professor Sinistra protested. "He isn't to be wielded as a sword is."

Dumbledore did not respond, choosing to let the contemplative silence reign.

"And what of Mr. Malfoy? Did he know he was to be used as a pawn to initiate the war and force Mr. Zabini to Voldemort's side?" Snape asked.

"I had all but given up on Mr. Malfoy as playing any other role but a pawn, until one month ago," Dumbledore admitted.

"His rescue of Miss Granger was not taken kindly by the Dark Lord, despite the presence of a lifedebt. The Dark Lord was even further enraged that Mr. Malfoy consulted neither myself, nor his mother before making his request for payment. Furthermore, he refuses to tell either one of us what task he has appointed her with," Snape said.

"The end result of which caused him to become expendable to the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort has no use for minions with compassion, especially compassion towards muggle-borns and a definitive, if very well hidden, flare for heroics." Dumbledore said with a quirk of the lips.

"It will be interesting to see how young Malfoy proceeds." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the possibilites.

"This can all still blow up in our faces," Snape continued pessimistically. "The Dark Lord's aim was to alienate Mr. Zabini from his classmates. Ideally either Ms. Granger, the individual, whom the Dark Lord perceives to be the brains and backbone of Harry Potter, or yourself, Albus, would be dead for interfering. Mr. Zabini would be expelled and ostracized and Mr. Malfoy would be inspired to seek power in the hopes of emerging victorious in the blood feud.

"While none of the possible outcomes we theorized came to pass, the main objective was accomplished. Mr. Zabini will not be able to walk the corridors without drawing furtive glances and leaving whisperers in his wake. No Slytherin would speak to him after the incident in second year that left him on probation. That treatment has not eased except among his year mates, and only then, because Mr. Malfoy remained unafraid of Mr. Zabini.

"Now the entire school will treat him as the Slytherins have. His second chance is ruined by this fight. The ostracism that is sure to follow will be so absolute it will either drive him into seclusion or into rage. Either option is disastrous." Snape explained as he glared at Dumbledore's twinkling smile. "And yet, you are still happy with the outcome, Albus?"

"You certainly paint a bleak picture, Severus. However, I believe you are forgetting a very key factor in the equation. Miss Granger has never allowed Harry to withdrawal too deeply into himself, and he has put forth a stupendous effort to do just that."

"In the case of Harry, she has known and loved him since they were eleven, Albus. You cannot expect her to tolerate such behavior from someone she's only started interacting with this year," McGonagall protested.

"What behavior? Have you watched them interact? Have you seen how he walks her to class, holding her hand? He's only like that with Cali, and that bond took years to form," Sinistra defended with loyalty.

"Indeed, I think Minerva got to root of it all," Dumbledore commented with a smile.

"_Love?_" sneered Snape, his lip curling in disgust. "We are talking of the outcome of this war, Headmaster! I do not wish to incorporate something as capacious as the emotions of an adolescent into our strategy!"

"And why not? Was it not love, the love a mother has for her child, which defeated Voldemort the first time? It is not something to deprecate or scoff at, Severus. Love is the most powerful weapon we wield. Voldemort relies on fear, hatred, pain and ambition to condition obedience. They will kill for him out of fear, however, only love can cause a person to be willing to die for something or someone, which is why our following is stronger."

"Mother and child," McGonagall drew out contemplatively. "Narcissa instigated a fight she knew would most likely result in her son's death. How could she?"

"There are many possible answers to that question. Perhaps she was assured that the fight would not escalate to that point. The Dark Lord had been fairly sure either Albus or Miss Granger would succeed in breaking up the fight by either convincing Mr. Zabini with their words or their deaths. There is also the fact that Mr. Zabini and Mr. Malfoy had been childhood friends, and Mr. Zabini had been unable to hurt him in the fight at Malfoy Manor nearly seven years ago, the fight that started the blood feud.

"The most probable outcome, however, was that Mr. Zabini would simply defeat Mr. Malfoy, that he would deal him some sort of injury that would either incapacitate or knockout Mr. Malfoy, but not kill him. That was certainly the Dark Lord's hope. The Dark Lord wanted Miss Granger or Albus to attempt to stop the duel, at which point in time they would be dealt with by Mr. Zabini, who would proceed to defeat, but not kill Mr. Malfoy, perhaps out of sentimentality.

"Then it was the Dark Lord's hope that Mr. Malfoy's defeat would spur him to seek greater power, and draw him to the death eaters as a loyal follower," Snape finished.

"And that's what she _wants_ for her son?" McGonagall asked incredulously.

"If it is good enough for the father," Snape began in a bored voice.

"Who is in Azkaban for attempting to murder _children_ the same age as his son!" McGonagall snapped.

"Mrs. Malfoy is a spiritual factionist, even more so than her husband. Her ardent belief in a caste system does not stem from any scientific fact or statistic, but from a feeling in her heart. And since when have matters of the heart ever made _sense_?" Snape finished sourly.

"Truer words were never spoken," Sinistra agreed in an undertone, looking anywhere but at Snape. Snape's lip curled and he too looked away.

Dumbledore and McGonagall eyed the younger teachers with knowing smiles.

"It seems that those matters of the heart have swayed the situation in our favor for now," Dumbledore said. "I am pleased with the outcome, though I did hope Mr. Zabini would stay for the holiday and enjoy some time with Miss Granger. It's good to see him opening up at last."

"Ms. Parkinson seemed very put out by his departing, Albus. She made up some ridiculous excuse about transfiguration."

"Believe me, Severus, if you saw Pansy Parkinson attempting to perform transfiguration, Neville Longbottom would look like a potions master by comparison. I am afraid I will have to expel her from NEWT transfiguration at this rate. The girl simply does not have the talent for it," McGonagall said.

"Indeed, I believe you. However, Mr. Malfoy was also angered by it. It was his reaction that piqued my suspicion. You mark my words, they are up to something in Gryffindor tower. Mr. Malfoy said he was staying so Miss Granger could repay her lifedebt by helping him with some large project he is attempting to do, but he won't be specific and keeps changing the subject when I attempt to question him. I've no doubt that it's something against the rules and highly dangerous," Snape finished.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"We will just have to wait and see." Dumbledore said mysteriously.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

1- MILF Mother I'd Like to F---. Unfortunately, I learned this term while working at a boyscout camp (Goshen, VA- Len'hoksin) as a mountain biking instructor. Boyscouts are some demented folks, let me tell you! (I'm in venture crew, btw, so I am technically a boy scout too.)

2- See chapter "Into the Snake's den" for this reference.

**509 reviews: **You guys rock. Sorry for the long wait.

**7800 hits: **Considering only 6 of readers review on average, I think I'm doing pretty good. Or rather, you the readers are doing pretty good- Thank you.

General responses:

**Pairing: **Sorry guys- almost every review is a plea for a pairing switch. I'm sure some of you are going to start giving up on my story but I won't change it. It's Saving Draco Malfoy and it's going to stay that way. I hope you all will trust me with my plot- I will not disappoint you!

**Character development: **After the S potion, you are going to get so much character development you are going to be sick of it! Unfortunately, I'm not all that good with balancing between plot and character development and I keep switching off to do one at a time. It's something I'm hoping to improve upon with practice.

**Good questions: **

_Will there be romance between Hermione and Blaise_? A little more, yes.

_What exactly is Blaise's strange powers and past?_ Did you see the answer in this chapter? It's there, but it will be expounded upon in the next chapter. Cookies and pecan pie to who ever can guess.

_Why don't the teachers want Blaise talking with Hermione?_ McGonogal is afraid for Hermione cause she doesn't want her ending up a crispy critter. See the event in second year in following chapters.

_Why did Salazaar Slytherin choose now to bring down the school?_ Slytherin isn't bringing down the school- Voldemort is doing it using his connection to the school through Slytherin. He's doing it now because…. You'll see!

_How will Hermione recover?_ Er, I suppose you mean the trauma of the lifedebts. Hermione is no wuss, she'll be alright.

**Dark Dragons' Muse ** and **All other greek speakers: ** I really need help to pull off the greek thing. So if you are interested in doing some transliteration and answering some very cursory questions on history and geography than please email me at imuttard at gmu dot edu. Thank you.

**I got a review in Spanish **that I couldn't read so I used babblefish and it translated the review as such: _Please Update! Ive that reads the same chapter by always now. Its history is amazing, his an excellent writer now fishing for the complaints and the ass is able to him to work in the following chapter._

I cracked up when I saw the translation so I thought I would share it with the rest of you.

**Arab pride: **Yea, I got a lot of arab comments this time around. Um, yes, my name is in fact Iman. So you guessed right. My last name is an old arabic word for "chaser" so I doubt anyone will guess that. Iman is a fairly common name so I don't really like it. I speak Arabic with the proficiency of a three year old, so I'm not so much into the "ARABS brouhaha!" And I'm only half arab, too, which caused all my full Arab friends and husband to refer to me as "the white girl." So I really can't win. (Unless I point out that they are, in fact, FOBs)

Right now it's really tough for Arabs all over because of the stupidity going on in the middle east, Afghanistan, and England. My intention in this story is to point out how stupid prejudice is, that there are no "hero" or "good guy" in wars- only killers, and that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. So let me know if I'm getting it across of if that's just a fanciful excuse to waste exorbitant amounts of time on useless fiction.

**AU dom: **Unfortunately this story is now AU. Which I don't mind because HBP sucked! It was so sad that I only read it once- can you believe it? However, it presents a problem for me because this story has a sequel. I promise to at least write The Devil's Respite. I might not write Bastard, because it isn't as important as TDR, but I need to know if you will read it. So will you read it? Are you going to keep reading my story now that it's AU?

**Please let me know with a review! **


	18. The Key to the Shadow Lands

Sorry for the late update. See reviewer responses at the bottom. Thanks for sticking with this story. **This chapter has not been beta-ed.**

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**Chapter Eighteen: The Key to the Shadow Lands**

_Sorcery is concerned with the wandless assimilation of natural magic, more frequently known as elemental magic, and the channeling of that natural magic into what has come to be known as a spell. The act of sorcery requires either great concentration or extreme emotion. It is for this reason that, while all sorcerers are witches and wizards, not all witches and wizards can perform sorcery. Before the invention of magical amplifiers, such as talismans and wands, only those witches and wizards capable of deliberate sorcery were deserving of the title. The few that could perform sorcery were so small that non-magical people freely knew of and greatly respected mages. _

_It is only when magical amplification devices were invented, and more people were able to use magic, that the non-magical people of the world began to perceive magic as a threat. The first manifestation of separatism and violence against mages recorded through the pages of history was the rise of Arthur, king of Britain, at which point in time the magical community of Avalon- the largest in existence at the time- retreated into the shadows and magic became little more than a myth for non-magical people. (1)_

_Intrinsically, the separation between mage and muggle is a result of sorcery. It is sorcery and the ability to perform it, which makes us who we are. It is for this reason that every mage should study and become adept in sorcery- for it is the birthright of every mage._

_To begin understanding sorcery, one must first understand the origins of magic. Every mage is born under a sign, from which he draws his powers. The signs are commonly known as elements, or natural signs, however those terms over simplify the diversity of signs that a mage may draw his powers from. While, Earth, Air, Fire and Water are the most common signs for a sorcerer to deliberately draw from there are other signs, equally if not more powerful, that are as intensely natural as the four cannons, such as Love, Hatred, Spite, Fear, Scorn, Envy, Lust, Ambition, Virtue, and Thanatos.(2) There is no greater example of the power of these signs, than those accidental spells performed wandlessly by individuals laboring under strong emotion. _

_To begin mastering deliberate sorcery, one must know their own sign. A mage may draw from any of the signs, and does to accomplish various spells, however a sorcerer will find the greatest ease in drawing from his birth sign…_

"Oi! Listen to this!" Ron's awed voice broke through Harry's reading.

Harry looked up from the introduction of the book _Sorcery and Elemental Magic _to see Ron on his feet, looking at the book in his hands with widened eyes.

"_An _Elemental Mage _is a sorcerer whose control over the currents of his natural sign have become so complete, he need only think of the desired results of a magical casting to weird the environment around him…" _Ron read aloud.

"This is it!" Ron said enthusiastically. "Zabini must be an Elemental Mage."

"He can't be…" Ginny breathed, her eyes wide in terror. "An Elemental Mage hasn't been born since Merlin himself. There has to be another answer."

"Why can't he be one?" Harry asked.

"Because, someone with that kind of power would've made headlines. Not only that, but Elementality is said to run in the blood. Blaise would have to be related to Merlin, and he obviously can't be cause he's 100 percent Greek. Merlin was Welsh, everyone knows that." Ginny countered. "Honestly, you act like we didn't already know elementals existed." Ginny muttered darkly.

"Even if you have to be related to Merlin- and there is NO reason to suggest you do- you can't know for sure Zabini isn't. Remember, Matthias Zabini's line went off the page and didn't pick up again. We don't know where this bloke came from." Ron said, sitting down with finality.

"Ron… Don't you think if an elemental was born into a pureblooded and very unpopular family like the Zabini's, that **everyone **would know?" Ginny replied.

"No. Why would they tell anyone? The child would grow to be extremely dangerous. Enemies to the family would probably want him dead before his majority." Harry added pensively.

"Harry, the power of an elemental is stronger that any type of wandless magic you've seen." Ginny began patiently. "If Blaise was an Elemental Mage and lost control even for a second- well let's just say it would've been worse than blowing up his aunt or something. They wouldn't have been able to cover it up, there is no way."

"Someone did find out." Harry declared with sudden understanding. "Someone ruthless enough to try to kill the possible threat- even if he were just a child."

Ron and Ginny's eyes widened in understanding too.

"Lucius Malfoy." Ginny gasped, appalled.

"The fight that supposedly happened six and a half years ago- the one Blaise and Malfoy's mums kept mentioning." Ron filled in.

"Lucius Malfoy must've found out what Blaise was, and- I dunno, they have a bloodfeud between the two houses don't they? That's what they said- If that were the case, than Malfoy's dad would want to remove the threat to his house. He knew if Blaise reached his majority-"

"He would flatten the Malfoys." Ron finished for Harry.

"So he went after a child.. Well, at least I wasn't the only one he's picked on." Ginny said with a slightly nervous laugh, then her face twisted in disgust. "What a monster…"

"What else does it say about Elemental Mages?" Harry asked.

Ron reopened the book he had been reading. Harry caught the title: _Elemental Genesis. _Ron's eyes were blurred as he speed read the first chapter.

"_Elementals, as the name implies, control their natural sign_… yadda yadda… _manipulate the environment like a force of nature_… blah blah blah… _their natural sign will react when the elemental feels strong emotions_… something useful **please**…"

"That is something useful." Harry interjected. Ron and Ginny looked at him. "Fire. Blaise's natural sign must be fire."

Ron went back to his book, muttering as he read.

"Ah-Ha!" Ron said. "_Not all elementals are born. While elementality is presumed to be an inborn trait, _Taliesin the wise_ theorized a method for invoking the full measure of one's natural sign in a process that has come to be known as _Elemental Genesis."

"Wait a moment." Harry said as something else clicked into place. "Taliesin? Is that what you said?" Ron nodded and looked up.

"Deo-Taliesin." Ron confirmed, his eyes gleaming. "The clan Blaise said he was descended from."

"But being an Elemental Mage wouldn't change the effectiveness of the Fideleus charm, would it?" Ginny insisted. "We still don't know how Blaise was able to get a straight answer out of Snape, or why there is no lifedebt between him and Hermione."

"Alright." Harry said grimly. "Ron, I need you to find out more about this Taliesin person. Ginny, I need you to look into Matthias Zabini. I'll stay with these books on Elemental Genesis, and see if I can't find the answer to your question in there."

Harry shook his head, his expression a mix between amusement and disgust. Ron and Ginny paused as Harry chuckled darkly.

"Remind me to kiss Pansy the next time I see her." Harry said, and laughed.

Ginny's eyes widened and she blushed. Ron's face contorted in revulsion, but all he said was:

"Ew."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"How soon?"

Draco Malfoy was looking as grumpy and irritated as Hermione felt. Apparently, getting up at dawn didn't agree with him at all. They'd both been drinking tea non stop to keep themselves alert over the potion, but they had to stop because it resulted in too many bathroom breaks.

Malfoy had just returned from his forth one. Hermione was starting to suspect he was going more often than strictly required, just to get away from her.

"We're three quarters done with the potion now. I'm still unsure whether we should use fresh thyme or dried thyme- what do you…" But he cut her off.

"Fresh." He said decisively.

"How do you know?" Hermione asked with irritation. "I know you didn't find a reference on it- it's impossible to find anything and even the restricted section.."

"Gut instinct." He said, cutting her off again.

"Gut. Instinct?" She spluttered. "Malfoy! This is a potion that will do horrible nasty things to our brains if we botch it, and you want to choose an ingredient on instinct!"

"How do you think potions are created to begin with? At the beginning of magic, there is only your brains, guts, and balls. We're going to need a combination of all of that to get through this." Then he smirked at her. "Shouldn't be too difficult for you to manage Ms. Gryffindor-poster-girl."

"Well, some of that…." She mumbled.

"Combining Potter and Weasley, you'll get a full set." He snarked.

Hermione's nose scrunched in disgust.

"Of brains- that is." He added with a sneer.

"You're losing your touch, you know- normally you can do better than that." Hermione said primly. She was choosing from a selection of fresh thyme.

"My criticisms are becoming stupider from prolonged exposure to witless Gryffindors."

"That's more like it."

"It was getting too easy, you see, normally you lot can retreat once you've lost but now we're stuck together. After I gave all the first years permanent inferiority complexes it got boring." He informed her.

"It takes a special kind of person to enjoy terrorizing eleven year olds, Malfoy."

"Father always said I was exceptional." He said in a proud drawl.

Hermione shuddered- that drawl- she knew how it felt when pronounced close to the skin. She faltered and stopped. But wait, she didn't _know_ how, because they were only dreams.

When she looked up from where her thoughts had taken her, she saw that Malfoy was looking askance at her.

"Right, umm… what?"

"Maybe you need more tea…" He said, with his eyes narrowed.

"No, I'm fine- just.. I'm fine." She shook her head. "So, um, it looks alright?" She attempted.

He raised an eyebrow.

"The potion." She clarified.

"How should I know?"

"What happened to your guts?"

"They are firmly in place beneath my stomach and above my-"

"Alright! Um, I think it looks fine and now I'm going to add the thyme, and hey that rhymed."

"Definitely more tea."

It was an exhausting day.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"…So we figured he must be an Elemental Mage… after that, we researched methods of bypassing binding magic like Fideleus charms using elemental magic, his background, and also… methods for becoming an Elemental. We found little on becoming an Elemental Mage, and nothing at all on his back ground and binding magic…

"Among the things we found on becoming an Elemental Mage, besides the birthright of Merlin, there was mention of a process called _Elemental Genesis. _Beyond that, all the books we looked at talked about mastering Sorcery. There were none that detailed the process of Elemental Genesis, so we thought it might be a family secret passed down only to Taliesin's descendents." Harry, who had been orating the results of their research to Hermione, fell silent when her eyes widened.

"Taliesin." Hermione said pensively. "I've read the name before- where.."

"We looked for him everywhere." Ron added irritably.

Spending the whole day in the library was one of Ron's least favorite occupations. Harry was less irritated, and not at all because of the research- in fact he found the concept and study of sorcery as fascinating as defense against the dark arts- but because he now owed Pansy. Ginny appeared unaffected, perched as she was on the end of Colin Creevy's bed.

It was late in the evening, and nearly time for bed. The four of them were sitting in the fifth year boy's dormitory- choosing it as a private spot they could all sit where they were protected from being walked in on by Pansy or Malfoy.

After a full day of brewing in the soul company of Draco Malfoy, Hermione was ecstatic to be anywhere but the sixth year boy's dorm, with anyone but Malfoy. She was also very keen on hearing what her friends had found out. _An Elemental Mage! _ Hermione had read about them, of course, and had studied the biography of Merlin thoroughly outside of _History of Magic_ just out of fascination. She couldn't believe another Elemental Mage existed, right under her nose the whole time- _Merlin, she'd kissed him! _

Hermione shook her head. It was too much, but it also explained so much. The way the fires reacted to Blaise's emotions, and the inherent fear his entire house held of him- it all made sense now. One thing puzzled Hermione.

"I've read about Elemental Mages before, and if I remember properly, they don't use wands." She commented.

"They don't _have_ to use wands- no." Harry agreed. "In fact, they are more powerful without a wand. I'm not sure if you noticed Blaise use his left hand when casting that huge fire spell during his duel with Malfoy- his wand was at his right side."

Hermione did remember that. Her mind also went to the one time she'd seen his wand up close- when they'd been breaking into Snape's rooms. She remembered thinking about how abnormally large and thick it was and making a note to ask him about it- which she never had.

"Tell me more about Elemental Genesis.." Hermione asked.

"There was that one blurb on Elemental Genesis and Taliesin… hardly anything at all really." Ron added as he squinted at his notes. "_Although little is known about Elemental Genesis, it has been rumored that the process requires a blood sacrifice be made, to complete the assimilation of the element. The full process, if it is indeed more than myth, went with Taliesin to the grave. _ Can you believe that? The sodding book was called _Elemental Genesis_ and that was the most useful line on the subject.

"It was mostly the same as the other books of sorcery- A brief history of Merlin and a description on mastering sorcery." He finished in a bored voice. "The ruddy author probably only named it _Elemental Genesis_ to get people to buy the stupid book." He grumbled.

"Let's recap." Hermione said, and straightened the parchment she had been taking notes on. She read the lists she'd made.

"_Known: _

_Elemental Mage – Fire._

_Son of Matthias Zabini and Morgan Sinistra_

_Can see thestrals- has seen death _

_Can bypass magic used to protect information _

_Fought L.M. at approximately age ten- and won. _

_Bloodfeud with Malfoys _

_Matthias Zabini died in 1992 _

_Deo-Taliesin descendent_

_L.M. and M.S. dated in their sixth year. _

_Dumbledore made the Slytherins swear not talk about any of this. _

_Suspected: _

_L.M. having found out about an Elemental born to his enemies by bloodfeud, attacked Blaise and culminated in the fight at age ten. _

_Draco's hatred of Blaise stems from defeat in #1 _

_N.M. was L.M.s second choice, making her terribly jealous. _

_Per #3, M.Z. was M.S's second choice_

_Questions: _

_How does he bypass magic used to protect information? _

_Red eyes- result of E.Mage status? _

_Who did he see die? _

_Who is Taliesin? _

_Who is Matthias Zabini?_

_What is the process of Elemental Genesis? _

_Did Blaise undergo Elemental Genesis, or was he born an E.Mage? _

_If L.M.'s first choice was M.S and/or vice versa, why marry another? _

_what really happened six and ½ years ago?_

_What else do the Slytherins know that they aren't allowed to tell the school? _

_What, if any, is the relationship to the Dark Lord? _

_What is the implication all these variables have on the war?_" Hermione finished wearily.

"Wow. That last one's a killer." Ginny muttered.

"Well, Ron can ponder the move once we've got all the chess pieces assembled." Hermione said contemplatively. "You all have done a wonderful job, I couldn't have done it any better." Hermione said, genuinely impressed with the results of their research.

"You act like you never did the same for us. I seem to remember many-a research sessions taking place in fourth year." Harry said, and he smiled warmly.

"There are still many more books to read… There has got to be more on the topic." Ginny said.

"Yes, especially about Taliesin… I know I've read his name somewhere!" Hermione said irritably.

"There is one thing we should definitely do, no matter what." Harry declared, drawing the gaze of the others. "I think it would be undeniably beneficial for all of us to become sorcerers."

"But that's supposed to be really difficult Harry." Hermione said in concern. "Do you really think all four of us can manage it?" She asked.

"I don't mean for the four of us to manage it." Harry said to the silence, the others blinked at him. Ron directed a pitying face towards his sister, who was looking horrified at the prospect of being left out of their little clique- **again.** "I mean for us master it." Harry's somber face melted into a rakish grin that meant adventure and rule-breaking was on the horizon. The others grinned back in anticipation.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I've lost him." The cold voice declared to the silence. "More importantly, I have lost the key to the Shadow Lands- the weapon that will destroy Harry Potter."

The occupants of the darkened room shuddered. The conversational drawl of the speaker did not diminish the palpable fury that constricted the air in the room. Whatever tone was used, the speaker was beyond fury.

"I might have lost them both." The cold voice continued lazily- speaking to himself as though no one else existed. "But all is not lost. He will turn because he is of the shadows, because he commands the dark arts. He will turn when he realizes there is no other place an individual of such talents will be accepted. It is the deepest folly of man that he fears his greatest desire. Men desire to be great, and detest greatness in others. They will either come to worship the greatness of other men, in the hopes of attaining greatness vicariously, or they will attempt to destroy it. Is it not so, my faithful servants?"

The listening occupants bowed deeply.

"It is so, My Lord." They intoned.

Tom Riddle inclined his head almost imperceptibly, in a gesture of self-affirmation.

"My Lord?" Bellatrix spoke with deference.

"Speak Bella." Riddle whispered, directing his bloody gaze upon her.

Keeping her head bent low and her knees on the floor she said: "Perhaps there is another way of obtaining the key- the weapon- you desire. In fact, this turn of events could even work to our advantage."

"Indeed?" The Dark Lord was reflective.

"There are few things that possess a man- that drive him. There is the desire for wealth and treasure, if materials are what he covets. The desire for greatness is another, if he seeks to be worshiped. And then there is desire itself- the gravity that pulls a man to a woman. It is this gravity at work which draws away the weapon.

"Could we not use this gravity in reverse? Could we not use my nephew's lifedebt over Potter's mudblood to our advantage?" Bellatrix finished.

"You are suggesting we draw Potter's Mudblood away using young Malfoy." The Dark Lord confirmed.

"A betrayal might be enough to bring Blaise Zabini in to your service." Bellatrix agreed.

"You make two very large assumptions, Bella- The first that young Malfoy will consent to such a plan and the second that he is even capable of it."

"He could never be so foolish as to refuse the opportunity to serve you, My Lord." Bella said, bowing her head deeply.

"And yet, he did not attempt to consult me through his mother or Severus when such an efficacious opportunity to get to Potter was given to him." Voldemort countered.

"The haste of youth…" Bellatrix said- although there was an edge of uncertainty to her voice. "My nephew would never betray our blood- _toujours pur_." She said more firmly.

"And yet- he saved the mudblood to begin with. Curious- Curious that the ceiling should choose to come down upon her and her alone, when I had no specific target in mind. I was merely making it clear to Dumbeldore that I _could_ do it. And young Malfoy risked his own life to save her- curious indeed.

"And let us assume that young Malfoy would obey me, what is to keep his own heart steady?" Voldemort continued. "I do not want to loose them both, though I may have already."

"_Jamais_! My Lord, a mudblood like Potter's has nothing to offer a pureblood of Draco's status. He has a beautiful fiancé already."

"Tell me Bella- what is his reason for saving Hermione Granger in the first place?"

Bellatrix faltered and fell silent.

"Indeed. It is an unknown- young Malfoy is, as yet, a wild card. His actions will illuminate his loyalty. My main concern is obtaining the weapon that will destroy Harry Potter- the key to the shadow lands. Blaise Zabini must side with me.

"Potter and Dumbledore are the main obstacles in my path- at this junction. Dumbledore's destruction is already in the works- the first phase is completed. All that remains is Harry Potter…."

The dark lord paused and a sudden realization made his features widen sharply.

"He is here." Voldemort whispered. But before any of the occupants could ask what their master meant, he spoke.

"I am not dismissing your nephew or your plan outright Bella- a betrayal from the mudblood might be just what is needed. And the Granger girl still owes young Malfoy a life debt. I believe the side effects will be enough- that way, we need not rely of young Malfoy's obedience or ability. Yes, it is best this way." He completed esoterically.

"My Lord?" Bellatrix did not understand.

"Never mind Bella, it is a plan I can put into action myself with little effort." The Dark Lord dismissed. "Blaise Zabini will join me. The weapon to defeat Harry Potter will be with in my grasp. Dumbledore will soon be crushed by that which he attempts to protect. And then, the wizarding world will fall to its knees before me."

The Dark Lord turned abruptly and left the audience chamber for his personal study. Situated on the wall of the study was the only mirror in the Dark Lord's personal suites. Smiling a lipless smile, the Dark Lord approached the mirror knowing what would happen.

"I know you are there." Voldemort said quietly- approaching the mirror slowly but staying away from its direct reflection. "Hear me now- I will draw your little friend away from you, I will hunt down everyone you care for and kill them myself. You will watch them die by your own hand as you watch now. I am close, and you cannot escape me, for your blood is now my blood- we are one." He was almost upon the mirror now, almost with in its sight. "Protect them, if you can…."

He stepped in front of the mirror, his blood red eyes flashing in the semi-darkness.

"Harry Potter." The Dark Lord finished.

And- just as he had always done when he recognized the gaunt white face, the skeletal hands, and the blood red eyes as his own- Harry Potter awoke screaming.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

1-I am basing this information off of "The mists of Avalon," which is very historically accurate for a fiction, in my humble opinion. For those of you who haven't read the story: The druids of Avalon withdraw the isle into the mists because the druidic faith is dwindling due to the rise of Christianity. Christianity stands in direct conflict with the worship of the Goddess (modern day Wicca) and because reality is as humans perceive it, the world of the druids and the Christian world are becoming physically separated until people can no longer cross into Avalon without magic. This is the first time in history, I suspect, that people begin to disbelieve in magic altogether. (Disbelief in magic, btw, is a completely western concept- cultures in the middle east, Africa, and east Asia still accept the concept of "hasad" which means "the evil eye," and is a curse afflicted on a person due to the jealousy of others. In the middle east they attribute magic to be the work of "djinns." But that is a whole'nother topic. )

2- The term "Thanatos" in this regard is not used to mean the "god of death," but I am using the Freudian meaning "Desire for destruction/death" which could be the desire for one's own death or the destruction of others. For those of you not familiar with Freud, he theorized that people do things for precisely two reasons: Eros and Thanatos. Eros is sexual desire. So basically, people either want to F--- or they want to Die, and that's about it. Yeah, there is a reason people don't practice psychoanalysis anymore.

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**General AN's: **

- I am now 22 years old as of 11/05! It's the 8th. Happy birthday to me. You know what that means? I've been writing this story for over a year. I need to get on the ball!

- Um, the next two chapters are written, but both my beta and myself are really busy, which is why this chapter is un-betaed at the moment. When Sunny gets back to me I'll post the updated version.

- I have a new greek/Christianity beta: Cinnamon! Everyone say hello.

- Please review!

**Reviewer responses: **

**To all reviewers: **Thank you for putting me at 657

**Pairing: ** Draco/Hermione- and it's not changing.

**AU: **means Alternative Universe – where a story goes when the cannon has already written that time period.

**PLEASE NOTE SPELLING! **Say it with me now: B-L-A-I-S-E – Blaise! Not, Blaze or Blaize- it's Blaise. And Now: Z-A-B-I-N-I- Zabini- NOT ZAMBINI! There is no 'M' –None! Please notice the distinctive lack of an M anywhere in Blaise's name. No M! Ok?

**Congratulations to **Angel Moon Princess : For correctly guessing aspects of the plot. I'm not going to tell you what you guessed correctly but that was by far the best conjecture I got! Good job. I hope you'll still enjoy the story.

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**Individual responses: **

Idancer : In second year Blaise was 12- so it is different than the incident when he was 10.

SARCASTICisMYmiddleNAME : This was probably another boring chapter by your book. Cool name.

hugsnkisses72188 : Blaise is a pretty apathetic person when it comes to other people. He works based on self interest.

Ashley : don't be sad- here is the update. Thanks for the loyalty.

Scarlett : that's also my favorite line of the chapter.

njp : Thanks for all the reviews- I enjoyed every one of them. Thank you for appreciating Pansy, she's one of my OC's at this point. As for the B/Hr story- I've started writing it, but it'd be another novel length story so I stopped until I finished this one. I appreciate your enjoyment of Blaise- he's based off myself partially. As for some of your comments- I'd like to know what parts you thought my story was lacking in description- if anything I think I'm too descriptive and wordy. And you should send me cookies- it would certainly encourage me to write. Thanks again!

Violet Spark : Hermione in hot pants- (For you and all other readers who wondered)

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Oooooooooooooooooooo-"**Short Shorts" Short stories **– ooooooooooooooooooooO 

**The beginning of year six: **

_It was a feverish day for the inhabitants of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The start of term had arrived- Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way towards their first class, having just finished breakfast. As per ritual- Hermione and Ron were arguing rather vociferously. _

"_Ron, just drop the stupid subject!" Hermione was insisting. "You don't have the ridiculous _sight _and even if you had the gift, that old fraud can't teach you anything about it!" _

"_I'm not dropping divination Hermione so you might'as well give it up-" _

"_Harry dropped it." Hermione cut in, nudging the offending boy to jump in and help her argument .Harry wisely stayed quiet. _

"_That's cause Harry's in potions, I-" _

_But Ron was cut off as Hermione shrieked like she'd been delivered an electric shock- When in fact, she'd only felt a draft. _

_Malcolm Baddock- a slytherin underclassman- was standing right behind Hermione and holding the hem of her skirt to somewhere around her shoulder blades. The hall stopped dead and everyone turned in time to see what lay beneath Hermione's flipped skirt, before she yanked the garment and herself away from the Slytherin and twisted around, her wand in hand and poised. _

"_I told you they'd be black- it's always the studious ones- Leathter and Libraries and all that rot." Malcolm said smugly. This loud pronouncement was greeted with much sniggering from all the males- and tittering from the females. _

_Hermione was galvanized with horror. Yes- she was wearing black knickers, but only because she thought they were practical for stain resistance (something she needed with all adventures she and her friends got up to) not because she- Now everyone thought she- Her face would never be the same. _

_Her whole body shook with rage and embarrassment as news spread around the halls like wildfire. Harry and Ron sprang into action and Malcolm Baddock was quickly reduced to a gibbering female sperm whale- but the damage was done. _

_From that moment onward- Hermione never wore a skirt without wearing shorts underneath it. _

**Fast forward in time to after the third chapter- The slytherins are now living in the Gryffindor dorms: **

"_Hermione, what are you doing! You can't go downstairs like that!" Ginny caught her friend by the arm and gesticulated towards the offending piece of garment- or lack there of. _

"_stupid scummy smutty …" Hermione continued to rant profanity directed at no one in particular and tried to draw her arm away. _

"_Her- Mi- O- Neeeeeee. Ginny to Hermione- You. Can't. Go. Down. Like. That." _

"…_Hypocritical ignorant inbreed!" Hermione proclaimed in a roar, and again tried to yank her arm away. _

"_Wait, wait, stop- who are you talking about, and why are you trying to enter the common room wearing only those shorts- They are supposed to go underneath your skirt, not to be worn by themselves." _

"_I hate her! Hate hate hate!" Hermione always got incoherent with rage around _her

"_Alright, who was it and what did she say?" _

"_I'll show her- said '_a decent pureblooded boy wouldn't look twice at you, mudblood' _I'll show her- they won't be able to look at anything BUT me!" _ _Hermione declared boldly, and her eyes crackled with the same type of fervor SPEW evoked. _

"_Wait wait – who said that?" Ginny prompted- her grip still iron hard. _

"_Daphne Greengrass- that ignorant bigoted- She thinks she's so good looking and everyone else is dirt- I'll show her!" Hermione turned her crazed eyes to Ginny. "Right?" _

"_Er—So, because Daphne Greengrass insulted your heritage and ego, you are going to go down to the common room in something you'd normally never be seen in to get the pureblooded boys to drool over you and prove her wrong. Hermione, don't you think that's a little- whorish?" Ginny asked reasonably. _

"_It's for a good cause! Don't you get it, Ginny? They think wizards have undergone speciation- SPECIATION, Ginny!" _

"_Whatever that means." Ginny muttered. _

"_Hypocrites! Pureblood or Muggleborn, we're still people! Man and Woman!" Hermione's eyes lit up. "Man and Woman!" She declared and this time, when she pulled away, Ginny let her go. _

"_Colin!" Ginny called as she came down to the common room a little after Hermione. Colin- like every other male in the room, was frozen in place, his eyes fixed. "Colin!" Ginny repeated, a devilish grin spreading across her face. _

"_What!" Colin snapped at her, his attention still elsewhere. _

"_Where is your camera?" Ginny asked. _

"_OH! Good idea!" Colin had almost gotten away when Ginny grabbed him and wheeled him around to face her. _

"_Not for Hermione you idiot!" Colin's face fell. "Look at Malfoy!" They looked- Draco Malfoy's eyes looked like they had popped out of his head. His lips were parted and his face enraptured. Ginny sniggered. "Get a picture of him like that- I think Lucius would like an update on how his son is fairing- he must get lonely in azkaban." Ginny said sanctimoniously . _

_Colin stared at her and shivered. "Women are evil." He decided, before he moved to comply. _

So now, you all know.

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Mhairi : It's pie with pecans in it.

Jessica : Yes, Blaise does disappear at the end of the sequel- it is necessary. This is still a D/H story

rembrandt : The effects of the lifedebt have been there throughout- I just haven't mentioned them so much because doing so embarrasses me. Um- yeah- keep the virgin power!

some random : yes you are correct- Blaise's power does have to do with what happened.

Onigiri Momoko : Yes you are right about the curse of Elainis- that's for the long review. Btw: Isn't Onigiri a rice ball?

Sunny June 46 : You and everyone else wants Blaise to get the girl- well, he got "a girl" but you'll see more about that later

SushiFelton : thanks for the tip about nott- I did know that already, but I figured since JKR left it ambiguous in the story I could use it for Blaise. Thanks for the long review and the loyalty.

moste-piratical-ursh : Yes I did know Ursula meant she-bear. It is a constellation in the sky which is also called "the big dipper" I thought because P. Sinistra was an astronomy teacher, she should have the name of a constellation. Bellatrix and Sirius and Andomeda are all stars.

Luna : Yes, sex sux. As for Hermione in hot pants- look for the two short explanations in this author's note.

ben 'n' jerry : Thanks for the review- but if you don't like the authors notes, simply scroll past them. There is nothing in here you have to read for the story to be meaningful, including this response. : )

dizzydragon : Thank God- someone who agrees with me!

Vashka : Thanks, your feedback means a lot to me as I am reading your story as well and eagerly anticipating your next update. AK green is also my favorite line.

Dreaming One : My draco is cute? Your draco is cute! I don't do descriptions and humor any where near you. Thanks for reviewing- like Vashka, your opinion means a lot as I am reading your story. Did you like the short short stories?

Zekintha : Thanks for the comments.

Lorett : thanks for the long review- they'll be plenty more of Blaise.

ali-lou : Thanks, I like writing the teachers!

Shivais : Down with penises!

Surrounded By Idiots : Ah, but I _am_ one of the idiots that surrounds you.

Ash : Thanks for the loyalty

**To all reviewers: **Thank you for putting me at 657 reviews, and to the readers- at approx. 27K before the counter was reset. Please continue to review.


	19. What comes and fades

A/N: sorry for the short chapter- I'm really stuck on the ending for the next chapter, but it will be very long. This chapter is unbetaed. Thanks for 751 reviews and 17433 hits since the last post. (1-7-06)

**Chapter Nineteen: What comes and fades**

He was there again, she knew. He always came when ever she found herself in this place. It was a comforting place. A soft white glow suffused everything. The sky, the ground, even the bed onto which she was perched, all of it was made of white glow that had no definition or focus. It was like being surrounded by tangible, opaque, glowing mist. Later on, when she woke, she would blame this strange glowing environment for the calmness and happiness she always felt when inside the place, because she knew she should be positively horrified.

At that instance however, the environment was working that special magic on her logical circuits, and Hermione Granger was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her usual nighttime visitor from her common spot of glowing mist.

And he came, just as he always did, wearing clothes of the same material of the environment around. When he first approached, it always made him look like a disembodied head, hands and feet, because his clothes blended in with the glowing backdrop. Then depth perception would separate him entirely from everything else, and she'd sigh in relief to see him again.

He took his place next to her, casual as can be. He leaned over and brushed his cheek against her own, and took the opportunity to inhale deeply.

"Miss me?" And even here, in this perfect world where everything was completely backwards, his voice was _still_ a bored drawl. She shivered.

"Something is wrong." She said. A lot of things were wrong with this scene, but it was a mark of the severity of the wrongness that, of all the nights they'd met here, she'd never voiced it until now.

"No, everything is just as it should be." He said, and turned his attention to the space just under her ear. It was then extremely difficult to stay focused on what was wrong, instead of enjoying what felt so right.

His fingers were leaving trails of electricity as they traced paths in both her palms, working their way up her arms and across her back to draw her closer still. The nuzzling was shifted to her ear and she was thoroughly distracted from what ever she felt was wrong.

"Mmmm." Hermione had not even been aware of the stress knots in her back until his fingers were there to sooth them away. She could only vaguely remember how unhappy and stressed she was when conscious- but here she could only feel contentment.

He returned from his explorations of her right ear so that he could look into her eyes and use both hands to rub out the taught lines along the back of her neck. He was so soft and gentle and unlike himself. His fingers smoothed each platelet into row with its fellows and traveled down to her shoulders.

"You must take better care of yourself." He said, his voice was soft, but it still broke her repose and she remembered that something was wrong.

"I think I have to go- something is happening." She said, but made no move to break free. How could she when his hands had found that spot in her back that, when touched just so, made her knees weaken.

He didn't try to persuade her one way or another, but continued what he was doing as if she hadn't protested. Just as she had before, she melted and forgot what was bothering her. But wasn't that the entire point of this place? To ease the heavy burdens that reality presented.

She was leaning forward, pressing herself against the ethereal mist that he wore, feeling his warmth and taking in his scent; Toasted almond, from the white-blond hair that fell far past his shoulders, some outdoor tinted musk, from somewhere around his neck, and everywhere else the smell of _him._ A smell she'd come to recognize the six years she'd known him, but only consciously so when she'd braided his hair the day before.

And now he was leaning forward too, and bending his head ever so slightly. He wasn't too much taller than her, but the span of his hands suggested he had a little more to grow.

And then his lips touched hers and the familiar and fantastical feeling of small explosions erupting in her abdomen made her respond and pull him closer. She wondered how the same actions could always provoke such a spectacular response. He kept it chaste, but she could almost feel him straining to make it more- and the fact that he continued to hold back made it even more spectacular. She was rising to the balls of her feet, and snaking her arms around his neck, and it was so perfect and she never wanted it to stop.

But then, that feeling of "something is very wrong" came back and she broke the kiss and pulled back.

"Hermione." The way he said her name was almost enough to completely distract her again.

But a piercing scream was making it self known, and her world of glowing mist was shattering like light reflected in a broken mirror and he was fading away.

With a jolt, Hermione woke up, in time to hear a boy's voice shrieking:

"NO!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Wha- What!"

"No! **NO!**"

Ron Weasley recognized the shouts and ripping sounds coming from his best friend's bed. Harry had had another vision and was now desperately attempting to extricate himself, not just from his dream or his sheets- but from his own skin.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, jumping into action and yanking open the curtains of Harry's bed. "Harry! It's alright!"

"What the bloody hell is going on!" Draco Malfoy had woken from his peaceful slumber- a much needed rest from the full day of potions making and verbal sparring with the resident swot- to the blood curdling screams of what sounded like someone being tortured.

He too jumped into action, springing from his bed and blinking to adjust his eyes in time to see Weasley opening the curtains to Potter's bed and grabbing his shoulders roughly.

"It's over now Harry, you've got to snap out of it." Ron was coaxing a writhing Harry's hands away from his face where they appeared to be glued to his scar.

"Awww… Did ickle Potty have a nightmare. Why don't you crawl into bed with Weasel so he can…"

"Shut up Malfoy!" Screamed Ron.

Harry pulled his hands away from his scar long enough to sit himself up- whereupon he immediately keeled over the side of his bed and deposited the contents of his stomach.

"Shit!" Ron said, as he jumped back to avoid the sick.

Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing- this was the mighty Harry Potter who always beat him at quidditch and who battled the dark lord. Harry was shaking uncontrollably, sweat and tears leaked down his face. He was half on- half off the bed, his legs tangled in his sheets and his chest and head hanging off to one side as he gasped and fought to keep his constitution.

"Evenesco." Ron muttered, and the pool of sick vanished. Ron stepped closer and helped Harry back onto the bed.

"Ron- Hermione- Danger-" Harry gasped as Ron helped him up.

"Harry, Hermione's in her dormitory.. she's safe."

"No, V-Voldemort said.. said he'd h-hunt down…"

"Shhh…" Ron scolded, and motioned his head in the direction of Malfoy.

"What's going on!" Hermione appeared at the door to their dormitory. Ginny and Pansy were behind her.

"Granger! You aren't allowed up here! Or were you planning on sleeping in Zabini's bed cause you miss him so much." Malfoy spat out to her.

Hermione's eyes snapped to Malfoy- standing tousle haired in loose sleeping trousers and a sleeveless undershirt. His face was contorted with a mixture of disgust and amusement. He was as far from the boy that appeared in the white place as one could be, and that comforted her slightly. The phrase "I was just having a dream about snogging you." Popped into her head, and she had to suppress a laugh as she imagined he might then sarcastically invite her into _his_ bed instead. Reminding herself that Malfoy had no way of knowing what her sick unconscious was up to if she didn't give it away, she returned her attention to Harry.

Hermione waved her wand and lit some floating candles. She hurried over to Harry's side and perched on his bed. Hermione took in his sweaty brow, the way his clothes clung to him, and the way the sheets were tangled around his legs and felt a stab at her heart. Voldemort had forced through the occulmancy barriers that Harry had spent months erecting- the result was just as bad as when he'd had the vision of Mr. Weasley.

"Harry…" She said softly. "Was it.." She trailed off, keenly aware of the other occupants of the room.

"Yes." Harry ground out. "He was s-speaking directly to me… told me he'd attack everyone I c-care about." Harry was still shaking.

Hermione reached out a hand and stroked his hair away from his scar, which was a raised and raw red from the rubbing Harry had given it.

"Well, that's nothing new." Ron said reasonably.

"What's going on?" Pansy said, as Ginny walked around her to join the pileup on Harry's bed.

"Potter just had a nightmare- no need to fawn all over him like that." Malfoy sneered at them.

"That's all?" Pansy shook her head and snorted in disgust. "I'm going back to bed." She left.

"You should go to bed too Malfoy, we'll take care of this." Hermione suggested, without turning her concerned gaze away from Harry.

But Draco, who rarely had such juicy dirt on Potter, was eager to exploit the embarrassment card.

"So… Potty has nightmares about the big bad Dark Lord coming to eat his friends."

"Sod off, Malfoy." Ron ground out, directing his wand towards the soul Slytherin in the room.

"Really, it isn't wise of you to try to tease Harry while you are alone with four Gryffindors, in the middle of the night- who knows what could happen to you." Ginny added brandishing her own wand like one would admonish a wayward child with a ruler.

Draco sneered at them but retreated to his own bed anyway. He drew the curtains and made a show of adjusting his blankets. Then he lay still and listened to the conversation that was sure to follow, aided by the eavesdropping charm he had cast on his ears.

They started speaking but it was almost too quiet for him to hear.

"What was it Harry- has there been an attack?" Ron asked.

"Vision- he was talking to that LeStrange woman." Harry whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "Talking about- I didn't really understand; Something about a weapon that will destroy me, keys, the shadow lands, and Blaise Zabini."

"Weapon? But the weapon was the prophecy- V-Voldemort, (Not you too Ginny! It's just a name) wanted the knowledge of how to destroy you-" Hermione began, but was cut off.

"I know." Harry snapped, his voice returning to normal and his shaking subsiding. "I told you I didn't really understand."

"Just start from the beginning." Hermione suggested in a soothing voice.

Harry wracked his brains for the beginning.

"He was saying that he lost them- lost them both."

"Who are _them?"_ Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure- I think…" He trailed off.

"Just keep going in chronological order for now." Hermione said.

"Then he started talking about the weapon and the shadow lands. He said it was something that could destroy me, and that he'd lost it- but that _he_ would have to join him because he was a dark wizard, or something.

"LeStrange stepped forward and she started talking about, I can't remember really, but she did say something about desire between a man and a woman. Then she mentioned Malfoy."

"Which one?" Ron asked quickly.

"Draco. She said that they could use Draco because of Hermione's lifedebt."

Draco's eyes perked up at this, and he sat up in his bed and slowly and quietly as he possibly could.

"Then Voldemort said they couldn't rely on Draco because he'd saved Hermione and- something else… I don't remember."

"Keep going." Hermione urged.

Draco rolled his eyes as he imagined her taking notes- It was just a nightmare for Merlin's sake!

"Bellatrix said Draco would do it, that he'd never be a blood traitor- Toujours pur."

"What?" Ron asked.

"Toujours Pur, it's the Black family motto." Harry said.

"It means "Forever Pure" in French, and the Malfoys and Blacks are ethnically French."

Draco blinked. '_How the hell do they know that?' _

He remembered that his mother was fond of the phrase- and that their copy of the black family tree had that motto etched along the top- but it wasn't written in any of the books of heredity, so how could the dream team possibly know that?

"Voldemort said that Draco was a wild card whose loyalties hadn't been proven." Harry continued.

"So he might be one of the lost people from the beginning." Hermione said.

Harry nodded and continued. "Then he said something about betrayal being a good option to turn Blaise, and that they wouldn't need Draco- or something like that."

"Why do they want Blaise?" Hermione asked.

Draco could hear the definitive note of panic in her voice.

"He's involved in that shadow land thing- the weapon that can destroy me." Harry said.

"Could Blaise possibly have a copy of the prophecy?" Ron asked.

"But how could he- only Dumbledore, myself and the Divinist who saw it know about it…"

"We don't know that." Hermione countered worryingly.

"No, we don't." Harry agreed.

"I don't really understand." Ginny piped in. "How does a prophecy have the power to destroy you- You've mentioned it a few times and I know we were fighting to protect it at the department of mysteries, but you never explained what it is."

There was a silence.

Draco was burning with curiosity.

"I'm sorry Ginny- that's really private, and the fewer people who know the better." Harry said at last.

"That's hardly fair! I fought to protect it the same as all of you.."

"Ginny." Ron cut her off. "It's Harry's business."

"Ron-" Harry stopped him. "Ginny, Listen, what this vision tells us is that Blaise isn't safe because he must know about the prophecy. The people who know about it are in danger. You saw what those deatheaters were doing to get to it- they were going to kill us all. I can't tell you for your own protection." Harry reasoned.

"You told them." Ginny huffed.

"Well, I expect we've already got a price on our heads for being Harry's best friends." Ron countered, unhelpfully reminding Ginny that she _wasn't_ one of Harry's best friends.

Draco heard the bed shift and the weighted foot steps that was unmistakably Ginny leaving the room.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped when the door closed.

"What? She was being nosy; it's not any of her business." Ron said.

"Ginny loves Harry so much- you can't keep rubbing it in her face that-"

"Ginny's got a boyfriend by the name of Dean Thomas that loves _her_- or so he says (and if he hurts her I'm going to rip out his spleen.) She should be paying _him_ more attention than Harry!"

'_Interesting, so little Ginny's _still _got a crush on Potter.'_ Draco thought.

"Guys…" Harry said quietly.

"How can you be so insensitive! This has nothing to do with her boyfriend, Ginny loves Harry like **I**love Harry."

'_You too Granger? I'm just catching all the interesting facts this evening.'_ Draco thought.

"She just wants to be close to him- to be his friend and support him like we do, of course it hurts her that Harry pushes her away…" Hermione continued.

"Hermione.." Harry said quietly, but again was ignored.

"You heard Harry, he can't tell her for her own protection- that's not pushing her away!" Ron said.

"Yes, but you shouldn't constantly remind her that she isn't as close to Harry as you are." Hermione said.

"But she isn't!" said Ron.

"Guys!" Harry snapped. The bickering duo turned their attention, at last, to their third. "I've got a monster headache so could you stop it for one night?" He said with irritation.

'_Me. Me. Me me me. What a whiney little dag!'_ Draco thought to himself.

"I'm sorry Harry- was there anything else about your vision?" Hermione asked.

Harry paused to think.

"After Voldemort decided what to do- he started talking about how Dumbledore was going to be destroyed by what he wanted to protect, and that when Blaise joined him I would be destroy and that he would take over." Harry said at last. "Then he left to this chamber with a mirror and he started to talk to me directly.

"He said that he knew I was there and that he and I were one because we share blood." Hermione gasped. "Then he told me he was going to come after everyone I love and he told me to protect them if I could. He looked in the mirror and I woke up."

The trio was silent for a time.

"I still say that isn't anything we didn't know- we've always known he would attack who you care about. He did it with Sirius, so he'd probably try the same with us." Ron said.

Harry winced at the reminder of Sirius, who he'd been desperately trying not to think about during this vacation.

"But Harry's smarter now- he wouldn't fall for the same trick again."

"This isn't the same trick, Hermione. He isn't going to try to kidnap one of you to get me to do something this time. He is going to try to hurt you- he mentioned you specifically more than once Hermione."

"Well of course he wants to kill me, I'm not just your best friend, but I'm also muggleborn. And let me be the first to remind you that I would be on their list even if I had no association with you, Harry. They hate me for who my parents are, not for who my friends are." Hermione added encouragingly.

Harry gave her a weak smile, which quickly turned into a frown.

"Hermione- he wants Blaise." Harry said at last.

"I know."

"And Malfoy." Ron added.

"I know." She repeated.

"The faster you cut ties with them both- the better." Harry said.

"Why?" Her voice was defensive.

"You shouldn't become friends with people who are going to be deatheaters. You might have to fight one of them- or both." Ron said.

"That's ridiculous. First of all, even if I had the inclination I could never become friends with that haughty little ferret."

Draco gritted his teeth against her insult.

"Second of all, we don't have any indication that Blaise will join Voldemort. He's expressed his desire to be neutral most fervently. Even if he is a dark wizard, pushing him away isn't the solution, that will just push him towards the opposite side."

"I don't want you to get hurt." Harry said sadly. "Either of you. But right now, you are target #1."

"Wrong. Blaise is target #1, and Malfoy is target #2. Think about the information they have. Voldemort believes I am Blaise's girl friend. If Malfoy is the first person that the Dark Lord _lost_, that Blaise is most definitely the second. They want Blaise on their side, and you mentioned that Bellatrix was talking about desire."

"Get to the point." Ron said.

Draco rolled his eyes- honestly, couldn't those idiots think for themselves! He'd already worked out what it all meant.

"They want to get Malfoy to use his lifedebt to … I don't know…" Draco was sure she was blushing through the statement. "..seduce me away or something, so that Blaise will feel betrayed and start to hate muggleborns. But Voldemort doesn't believe he can rely on Malfoy because he saved me so they are going to try a different way."

"And what is that?" Ron asked.

"How should I know, I'm not the one who knows what he's thinking- that's Harry." Hermione snapped. "But really, it wouldn't have worked anyway- it's much too transparent. Blaise is too clever to fall for something like that. And anyway, they are working with the wrong information- I doubt Blaise would care even a little bit if he found me fawning all over Malfoy." She said with disgust.

"Hermione! Do you want to give me nightmares, don't say things like that!" Ron said.

"Welcome to my world." Hermione replied loftily.

"So what do we do?" Harry asked, getting them back on track.

"I say we write a letter to Blaise and explain to him, without giving away too much information, that Voldemort wants him to join and that he might try doing it through me. I'm sure he's worked it out on his own already, but it wouldn't hurt to warn him. That way he'll be more wary of any situations that might pop up." Hermione said.

"How would we explain how we know this?" Ron asked.

"Well, I'm sure by now most of the school has heard of the DA, and assumed that it really is a private army of Harry's and Dumbledore's. Any army must have spies. Blaise will probably assume we got the information from a spy if we say it's from _a reliable source._ Or something like that." Hermione looked pensive. "That's what I don't understand though… Why would Voldemort break Harry's occlumancy barriers to show him a vision of himself plotting to recruit Blaise with such an obvious ploy?"

"I don't think he knew I was there." Harry said.

"Of course he knew, Harry, who do you think took down your barriers?"

"Actually, I didn't clear my mind before I went to sleep… I was so busy thinking about elemental genesis and sorcery…" Harry said sheepishly.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione snapped at the same time.

"Shut up, you'll wake Malfoy." Harry said. "I'm sorry, I've just had so much on my mind I haven't been practicing lately. I must've slipped up and I doubt he was expecting it either. He seemed to realize it towards the end and that's when he started talking to me directly."

'_Potter knows occlumancy?'_ Draco thought to himself. '_And how does Potter know about Elemental genesis? What is going on?' _

"Well you are going to practice it right now before you go to sleep, and I'm going to watch you do it." Hermione said bossily.

"Hermione.. I can do it with out you watching." Harry gritted out- obviously not liking Hermione's mother hen impression.

"I have to think about some things anyway, and I know I won't be able to go to sleep until I've sorted it all out." She said.

"Hermione, you've got to be in top form to make that potion. If you botch it you're mind will be permanently bound to Malfoy's- or you'll go insane. That'll put a quick end to your thinking.

"Get rid of the lifedebt, then we can go back to trying to out maneuver the Dark Lord." Ron said.

"That's the first reasonable thing you've said all night." Hermione replied with a sarcastic smirk, and then she frowned. "You're right, but I hate sleeping with this lifedebt on my shoulders. Dreaming of Malfoy is just plain creepy."

Draco's eyes widened. '_She's still having those dreams._' He couldn't help the smirk that overcame his face. '_pervert.'_ He thought, smiling.

"I'm amazed you aren't the one waking up screaming." Harry said, and the three of them chuckled. Draco scowled.

"Yeah, Malfoy-naked, talk about a nightmare!" Ron added.

"Ugh, Ron, shut up! Not even dreamless sleep potions take away the stupid dreams. I'm almost grateful for this interlude, because I was having another one when Harry's scream woke me. This is one part of magic where the side effects are nearly worse than the negation of the action." Hermione said, and rose stiffly.

"Side effects…" Harry said pensively, suddenly reminded of something he knew was just beyond his scope of memory.

"What Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head.

"We'll write that letter to Blaise tomorrow, and we'll inform the headmaster of the vision. Rest up you two. I'll see you in the morning." Hermione said. Tentatively, she leaned down and pecked Harry on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

And she left.

"I didn't get wished sweet dreams." Ron grumbled as he crawled into bed.

"Yeah, well you also didn't get to see your dinner all over again." Harry said, yawning.

"Make sure to practice your occlumancy before drifting off, or Hermione will have your balls." Ron reminded.

"She won't need mine.. all she has to do is go to sleep and she'll have her hands full."

"Harry! That's disgusting!" Harry laughed.

Draco, for once, agreed with Weasley.

"And with that pleasant thought- have sweet dreams Ron. Forgive me if I _don't_ kiss you." Harry said, and he pulled his curtains closed.

Ron pulled his closed as well, muttering about "Blood Harry.." and "Malfoy….starkers….gross!"

The dormitory fell silent and Draco's thoughts churned.

Blaise.

The Shadow lands.

The key.

Draco knew what all of these things meant. And Hermione was correct in her assumption that Blaise had already worked out that the Dark Lord desired his services. The Dark Lord had similarly been attempting to court Blaise's father during his last stab at power, or so his father told him.

Bellatrix.

Desire.

Granger.

These words made sense to him. Ironically, he had contemplated using his lifedebt in the exact manner his aunt had suggested- but even he realized it was too transparent before he seriously deliberated on the matter.

Occlumancy.

Elemental Genesis.

Sorcery.

Occlumancy was a branch of sorcery. But, what use did Potter have for Occlumancy? And why did he have to practice it before bed? Sorcery could only be used by powerful wizards, like Zabini- did Potter also fall into that category? As for Elemental Genesis, he had no idea how Potter found out, but the whole of Slytherin house was operating under the threat of suspension to keep the secret, and who ever leaked it would be skewered long before Dumbledore caught them.

Loyalty.

Toujours Pur.

If Potter was to be believed, and his vision true, the dark lord thought his loyalties were in question. Draco thought he'd made it crystal clear. He hated Potter more than anyone else in the world, and used every opportunity to prove it. His loyalties were obvious: Malfoy house, above all, then Slytherin. If Malfoy house served the Dark Lord, than he too served the Dark Lord, no matter how stupid he thought it was.

So why did he save Hermione Granger?

He remembered lying on this same bed the first night he'd moved into Gryffindor tower and asking himself the same question. He still didn't know why.

'_It was just a reaction, I couldn't help it. My body acted without my consent. But it doesn't matter how or why, what is important is to deal with the now and continue on the best interests of my houses.'_ In his opinion, he didn't need to consult anyone to know what the best interests of his houses were. The name Malfoy had been disgraced, its patriarch thrown into Azkaban like some commoner, and its manor ransacked by ministry muggle lovers and mudbloods for the Malfoy treasurers. Securing Hogwarts, while it might go against his vicarious obligation to serve the Dark Lord, played right into his obligation to rebuild the respect towards his name.

His father was a school governor, or had been, so Draco would do better; he would become a school founder. His father had commanded the respect of all Slytherin house, respect which Draco had lost since his father's imprisonment, and subsequently, his saving of a mudblood; He would command their respect _and_ be their leader.

At the end of this misadventure in potion making, Draco would lead his class mates into their common room. If his father was still in prison when he graduated, which he dearly hoped he wouldn't be, Draco would join the Dark Lord and lead the assault to free him.

Let Potter have his filthy sycophants- Draco knew, he had learned the hard way, that the only people you can truly trust, the only people that you can ever rely on, are those of your blood. Family first, they were the people who would protect you always.

Friends…

Even if they didn't betray you…

Even if they didn't try to kill you..

They just…

Faded

away.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**Next chapter:** Draco and Hermione FINALLY take the Synergist potion- what awaits them in the center of Slytherin territory? Only their worst nightmares.

**In General:** We're at the halfway mark of the story. The plot I outlined for this story really stops at this point with only a general idea for the ending. I know where I want to go after this point but I haven't set in stone how I'm going to get there. However: All the mysteries, or a good many of them, will be revealed within the next 4 chapters, so stay tuned!

**Responses:** Apparently this is a big no no- so I'll try to respond individually in some capacity, either through the ff system or by posting to another location.

**Congratulations to**: bluemaui49 for being observant regarding foreshadowing.

**Interesting theory** awards go to: Weaselbee, and Trieste

**Short shorts: "Mate" : What the British audience** **perceives**

"Hermione, I have a confession." Hermione whipped around violently, her life-of-it's-own-hair attempting to strangle her for the offense. Standing before her was Blaise, his red eyes aglow, looking rather nervous.

"What is it Blaise?"

"Well- I…" He paused, looking any where but her. "I- I've been misleading you- I'm not … not a wizard."

"Not a wizard.. but you can do magic, how can.." But Hermione was cut off mid-explanation of his obvious-wizardness.

"No. No, I'm- I'm really an .. an elemental mage." Blaise confessed.

"Oh! I knew that."

"WHAT! But- I! I'll kill them, only the Slytherins are supposed to know and- " Fire and brimstone erupted around him as his anger grew.

"Blaise! No- I figured it out, I'm not top of the class for nothing."

"Oh, I see." Blaise said, calming down, the acrid smell of brimstone still lingering. "Well, that will make things easier then. You see- as a mage, I am technically a magical creature."

"Really, you are?"

"No- but it's a good plot device. You see, as a humanoid magical creature I can forfeit any pre-existing contract on a person of my choice and claim them irrevocably – FOREVER!"

"Blaise, what are you saying?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I'm saying- What I'm saying is- I am an elemental Mage, Hermione, and you are my… are my… FRIEND!"

There was a loud dramatic pause of silence.

"Friend?"

"Yes, my friend! The one person chosen by magic and fate and God and stuff, who can complete me! There is only one such person in the world as this for me, and that is you- Hermione. My friend."

"Um, Blaise, that's not what 'friend' means." Hermione said, her eye brows crossing in confusion.

"Quiet, friend, for tonight we shall _bond_ and make our friendship permanent." Blaise declared, then he held out his hand to Hermione, beckoning her to take it. "Come, my friend."

Hermione's hair began to curl in irritation.

"No- That's not the way you use that word. That's not what friend means. You said that a friend is the one person who can complete you and make you happy- but I have several friends, and you could have more than one too. Imagine! If only one person in the world could make you happy you could spend your whole lives looking for them and never find them, or if they died you'd live you life in despair. How sucky would that be? I ask you!"

Blaise dropped his proffered hand.

"More than one?"

"Yes! By definition a friend is a companion and confident whose company you enjoy. Surely you enjoy other people's company besides myself?"

"Well- I guess Harry is alright." Blaise said thoughtlessly. Then his face froze in shock. "GAH! Does that mean I really AM gay!"

"No.. No…" Hermione began but was cut off.

"What's this?" Asked Harry, swooping in on his broomstick heroically. "Are you having a crisis, Blaise?"

"Harry, Dios Graci! Quickly tell me, are you my friend?" Blaise asked.

"Well, sure, why not?" Harry said.

"No, Harry, wait! Blaise is confused- he thinks---" But too late.

"Friend!" Blaise said, his evil looking eyes lighting up not-so-angelically. Harry smiled at him.

"Yes, Friend."

"No! Harry, Blaise is being ESL!"

"Hermione! Don't insult him- it's not his fault Greek is his first language." Harry admonished.

"But you are agreeing to something—You two aren't talking about the same thing—" She searched for words to express the increasingly exasperating situation.

Meanwhile, Blaise was giving Harry a hug.

"You are my friend, and I'm gay." Said Blaise.

"I'm glad you are happy." Said Harry.

"Harry, he doesn't mean gay like happy he means homosexual- and you are not friends, Blaise!"

"You said I could have more than one!" Blaise countered.

"Want a game of exploding snap?" Harry asked brightly.

"Wait, you don't understand!" Hermione said.

"How about we go for a walk around the lake- we could have a picnic and play cards." Said Blaise brightly. "Friend." He added with a smile.

"Uh- sure, if you like." Replied Harry, looking confused.

"Damn it! You are supposed to be _my_ friend, Blaise!" Hermione complained.

"Well you aren't being a good friend right now!" Blaise said, then he dragged Harry from the room.

"Ah well." Hermione said, her shoulders sagging. "There's always Malfoy."

The end.

**Please review! Oh, and I'm looking for a beta, if anyone is interested: iam at internet2 dot edu**


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